The Last Valerious
by Chthonic Spock
Summary: Dracula is accidentally revived over a century after his death. Now he is out for revenge against the Valerious family. The only Valerious left is a 17 year old girl named Amira. Crap summary, but by all means read it anyways! !On Hiatus!
1. Chapter 1

Hmm…please don't flame me because of the crapiness of this fan fiction! It's my first one; therefore you must go easy on me in your reviews.

Disclaimer: Sigh I own nothing in this story except for Amira and the stupid sorceress.

--I know the name for my fic is retarded. I'll change it when I think of something better. Oooor while you are reviewing my story you could give me a suggestion. hint hint

R&R Pleeeease.

Prologue/Teaser Type…Thing

The sorceress pushed one of her bushy locks of hair behind her ear as she leaned closer to the book. She now had her face a mere inch from the text. She pursed her thin lips in annoyance. _This book is useless! It barely says anything about the information I want, _she thought angrily to herself.

She stood up angrily to put the book back on one of her shelves when a piece of parchment fell from it. She got furious then, thinking that the book she had just bought already had pages falling out of it when she realized that this piece of paper had been placed in the book.

The sorceress squinted with her small, rat like eyes at the paper, attempting to read the slanted lettering at the bottom of the page. _Elle palgoda eyipsia la morto Dracula a vivre. This looks like an incantation, _she thought to herself,_ a very old one at that. This incantation language hasn't been used in nearly one hundred years! And yet, I barely have any idea what it says. _

Being the curious sorceress that she was, she felt compelled to say the incantation out loud. "Elle palgoda eyipsia la morto Dracula a vivre." She waited for something to happen. She said it again, this time with more force, "Elle palgoda eyipsia la morto Dracula a vivre!" Still nothing happened. The sorceress decided to say it once more. _Third times the charm! _ And indeed it was. "ELLE PALGODA EYIPSIA LA MORTO DRACULA A VIVRE!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

Suddenly, the paper burst into flames. The sorceress didn't even have time to drop it before there was nothing but ashes left. A bright light came from somewhere in the ashes, casting and eerie glow about the room. Beginning to get frightened, the sorceress backed away from the light. The light began to take shape and soon it looked like a tall man. And then the light winked out. "W-w-was that an angel?" The sorceress whispered to herself.

"Hardly." An icy voice from behind her whispered in her ear. She whipped around and stared at the man before her. His body was swathed in a cloak of darkness. His head was the only thing that was showing. She wished it wasn't. The sorceress couldn't tear her eyes away from those brilliant blue eyes. As sharp fangs began to grow from his mouth the sorceress realized she had just revived a servant of the devil.

Dracula disappeared and reappeared behind her. He whispered seductively in her ear, "I haven't drunk blood in a long time, young sorceress. Be happy with the knowledge that you will be my first kill in over a century." The sorceress barely had time to scream before the vampire's fangs pierced her skin.

Btw I didn't really feel like giving the sorceress a name, seeing how she's only going to be in this one chapter I decided to just keep it "The sorceress".

And pardon my grammar/small vocabulary/something else I'm bad at involving writing, I'm a beginner mind you!

Give me nice long reviews and I'll post the first chapter. No flames please, that will discourage me and the next chapter will turn out really bad. Rars.

This fanfiction takes place in the present.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch1

I haven't slept for nearly 24 hours so pardon the crapiness of this chapter. Ehehe.

Amira sat on her book bag, impatiently waiting for the bus to arrive and carry her away to the dreaded school. _It's too early for school to start. It wont be daylight outside for another half hour! _Amira thought to herself.

She wasn't particularly fond of school though she excelled in all subjects. She just thought it was a waste of time for her. She would much rather spend her time reading a book or practicing her fencing than going to school. How she wished she could go back in time, back in time in her books that is, and fight all manners of demons and monster and become a heroine. She especially wanted to go and see Count Dracula. She had developed sort of a school girl crush on him since she read the book Dracula back in 6th grade. The crush had gone away for a couple of years until she became infatuated with him once more in the 11th grade when she saw the move Van Helsing.

Amira was impatient for the bus for more than just her dislike of school; however, she had had this unnerving feeling that someone was watching her. She could have sworn she had seen the figure of a man peering at her through the shadows at least twice since she had gotten to the bus stop. The feeling just wouldn't go away and it was getting stronger by the second. Soon, her heart was pounding in her chest for she had become very nervous and was now desperately hoping the bus would come so this feeling would go away.

Suddenly, a man who had indeed been peering at her through the shadows of a dark alleyway walked up to her. Amira looked up and stared at him. He was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen, but he looked strangely familiar even though she was sure she had never met someone like him before. _I would have remembered that face if I had ever talked to him, _she thought. His skin was deathly pale and yet it seemed to fit him perfectly. His silky shoulder length black hair and black clothing just added paleness of his skin. But that was not what attracted Amira to him, it was his piercing blue eyes, she simply could not tear her gaze away from them.

"Hello Amira," the mysterious man said in a seductive voice, he had the most beautiful accent Amira had ever heard, "I've been waiting for you." A grin lit up his face, making him look rather evil. Amira wanted to back away from him but she realized that she could not move.

Amira just stared at him rather dumbly with her mouth hanging slightly open, she had lost the ability to speak at the moment.

"Ah. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Count Vladislaus Dragulia," His name rolled of his tongue.

Amira continued to stare at Dracula, her mouth worked as she attempted to speak. Finally she croaked out, "Dracula?"

"I'm afraid we cannot carry on this conversation for much longer, the sun will rise soon. If you will come with me please Amira." Dracula held out his pale hand for her to take. She grasped onto it tightly and Dracula pulled her to her feet effortlessly.

Amira finally gained the ability to think again and she realized what was happening. "Oh my god…" she whispered, "Who the hell are you?"

The Count rolled his eyes, "I do not like repeating myself, Amira. Come with me." His arm snaked around her waist and pulled her close. Amira began to struggle when she realized this man was kidnapping her. Dracula only pulled her to his body tighter before turning into his hell beast form. Amira began shrieking and struggled harder as Dracula beat his massive leathery wings and leapt into the sky.

"Do stop your incessant shrieking!" Dracula growled. "It's getting rather annoying!"

"Let go of me and I will," she retorted.

"You do realize that if I let go of you you will plunge 500 feet to the ground below, making your death inevitable. I certainly hope you do not wish that. I will do it however, if you do not stop your screaming" A dangerous look filled his demonic eyes. Amira stopped screaming almost instantly after that comment.

"Go to sleep Amira. I will wake you up when we get to my summer palace." As if a spell had been place on her, she instantly shut her eyes and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch2

Amira's eyes snapped open as she woke from her sleep.

She sprang up and landed catlike on the carpeted floor and eyed her surroundings. She was in a bedroom. At first she thought it was her own room before she realized it was much larger. The main color of the room was a deep shade of red. It made Amira think of blood. The bed was probably queen sized. It had satin sheets with elaborate designs of flowers on it. Other than the sheets however the room was rather simple. There was just a bed, a fireplace, a full body mirror, a wardrobe full of clothes, and a bathroom.

"I'm glad to see you're awake Amira," a voice with that beautiful Romanian said, "I was beginning to think you would sleep all night." Amira whipped her head around and came face to face with infamous Count Dracula.

_This is a dream. This has GOT to be a dream! I'll just wake up in a few seconds and find myself back in room, safe and sound. _

"So how do you like your new room?" He drawled, "I picked it out just for you."

"Uh…it's….err…nice." Amira said lamely. "Where am I?"

"Why, we are at my summer castle of course!" He laughed at the look of shock on her face.

"How did we get here? It was nearly daylight when you err kidnapped me."

"I rented a place at an inn." A look of disgust crossed his face as he remembered the filthy inn.

"Why did you kidnap me?"

"So many questions my dear, so many questions. I will answer that one when I feel the time is right," the count answered, "Come with me now. It is time for breakfast for you and I do not wish to keep you hungry. Put on something better than those rags you have on now. I will not have my personal guest wearing garments such as these." He bowed politely and exited through the large doors leading to a long hallway.

Amira stood rooted to the spot for a moment before realizing she had better do what he had said. _I don't want to anger him. _

She opened the wardrobe and to her dismay she saw that there were only dresses. She hated dresses. Amira searched through the wardrobe, looking for a reasonably plain dress without a corset. Finally she found a dark green on with a slash of black through the middle. It only had a little gold embroidery around the edges of the sleeves that reaches her wrists and a V neck which was rather modest. She slipped the dress over her head and brushed her hair quickly before looking at herself in the mirror.

_I don't look half bad. _Her light brown hair fell in wavy locks around her neck down to the middle of her back. The dress looked like it had been made just for her. It fit perfectly. She realized her dark green eyes matched the color of the dress and smiled slightly.

"Are you quite finished?" A muffled voice called through the door.

Her smile vanished when she remembered where she was and who was calling for her. She walked to the door and opened it so she could slip out into the hallway.

"Good," Dracula drawled, "You look lovely." His eyes flashed an electric blue color for a moment before turning back to that piercing blue. It unnerved her.

Dracula held out his arm for her to take but Amira backed away. "I'd rather not touch you any more than necessary Count."

He smirked as he materialized behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. Amira gasped with shock. "Ah but this _is _necessary. I'd rather just materialize to the dining hall than just walk there." His smirk widened as Amira shuddered from his touch. "You aren't afraid of me," He whispered seductively in her ear, "are you? I would certainly hope not, it would make living with me…uncomfortable."

They materialized into the other room. As soon as they were there Amira jumped out of his arms and stood uncomfortably to one side. She quickly strode over to a table with food on it and filled a plate with toast and eggs. She then took a seat and began eating. Dracula took a seat directly across from her and observed the girl over his long steeped fingers.

"Do you like the food, Amira?" He smirked at how much food she was shoveling down her mouth. Amira hadn't realized how hungry she was until she had seen the food before her.

"It's good. Is there anything to drink? Err… other than blood?" Amira eyed the goblet filled with blood before her uncomfortably. Dracula got up and poured another goblet with water. He then took the goblet of blood for himself and began to sip at it slowly.

"Thank you."

After she had finished eating they both stood up.

"I believe I should give you a tour of the castle, since you will be living with me now." Amira's face paled slightly at the comment. _He actually means to keep me here. I can't believe it…_

"Follow me if you please."

Amira was surprised with how large the castle was. _I'm going to get lost the instant he is not here to guide me. _Of course, Amira would much rather get lost in the castle than have Dracula present. There were vast libraries and huge ball rooms. Armories filled with every sort of weapon imaginable and long hallways that seemed to stretch on forever.

"And this, my dear, is my personal bedroom. As you can see it is rather close to you own so if you ever get frightened you can always run to my room." He smirked.

_In your dreams Dracula! _

"So where is everyone? Surely you do not live alone? You must have brides and servants to accompany you."

"You already know that all three of my brides were killed by Van Helsing over a century ago. I have not had the time to search for new ones yet for I was brought back to life only a year ago. I do have servants but I have had them trained so they do not get in my way."

"But Van Helsing is not a real person. He was just made up by Bram Stoker."

"So was I." An evil grim lit up his face, making him look rather sinister. Amira gulped. "And yet here I am, standing before you in the flesh."

"But… then your supposed to be dead too! You died in the movie. Why aren't you dead now?"

"An idiotic sorceress revived me. I had slipped an incantation into several books for sorcery so that if I died some magical being would eventually come along and bring me back to the state I was in before my death."

"I must leave you now. I have some….business to attend to. I will see you after your evening meal, which will be brought up to your room. You may explore the castle but be careful; I wouldn't want my dear Amira getting lost." And without another word, he vanished.

Amira headed straight back to her room. She was feeling rather sick and confused. _Why did he bring me here? Why me? I've got to escape this place! _And with that notion set in her mind, she began to make plans.

Dracula had materialized himself to one of his many libraries. He felt the need to check and make sure all the information was correct. He wanted to make sure that this young girl was indeed the very last of the Valerious'.

A.N. I know, I know, it's a crappy cliffhanger but it you must admit, it has you wondering what's going on. Is Amira indeed a Valerious? Oh wait…that's obvious since I named the story the Last Valerious. Ehehe. Why would Dracula want her? For revenge maybe? Who knows! Tune in next time for the next chapter of….The Last Valerious.

A.N. I know the last chapter was a piece of fluff until the end so I'll try to make this one better. There should be some action in this chapter. And a smidgen of romance. –cackles- I love controlling these characters.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch3

Amira was still forming a plan to escape when her supper was carried in by a blank faced man. He set the tray down and bowed his way out. Amira was disturbed by the expression on his face or rather, the fact that there was none. His pale blue eyes were glazed over as if he was deep in thought.

Amira force fed herself. She had lost her appetite after seeing the young serving man but she knew she would have to keep her strength up if she were to escape this nightmarish place. As if by queue, Dracula appeared before her just as she finished her meal. He pulled over a chair and sat directly in front of her.

"Tell me Amira, what do you know of your ancestry?" His sudden question surprised her. After some thought she realized that she didn't know much at all about her family. She only knew she had been adopted after her parents had disappeared shortly after her birth.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I am curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know." Dracula chuckled at her reply.

"True. Why are you so unwilling to tell me about your ancestors, Amira?"

"I know very little about them." She replied a bit reluctantly. "My parents never told me anything beyond the fact that I was adopted shortly after my mother died from giving birth to me."

"This makes perfect sense." Dracula murmured to himself. "Good, good. Would you like to know about your ancestry? I could tell you everything you need to know."

"How would you know anything about my family?" Amira asked, she was beginning to get nervous. _How _would _he know anything about my family? _

"Because I knew your great-great-great-aunt. And the rest of your family before that. For you see Amira, you are the last of the Valerious'."

Amira's mouth hung open in disbelief. "W-what? That can't be right. It can't be!"

"Why not Amira? What makes it impossible for you to be a Valerious?"

"Well because Anna Valerious was the last Valerious." Amira retorted. "She was killed accidentally by Van Helsing though."

"Ah but you are the last of the Valerious family my dear. You see, Anna Valerious had a twin sister named Cassandra. Unfortunately she was kidnapped on the night of her birth by yours truly." His piercing blue eyes twinkled evilly, making him look all the more sinister. "However, on my flight back to my castle I dropped Cassandra. She survived the fall and was found by a peasant couple a day later. I knew she was alive but the sun was going to rise soon so I could not search for her. Besides, she was no threat to me at the time. I thought I would just kill her later when she came of age. Cassandra grew up living a normal peasant's existence and raised a family for I was killed by Van Helsing before I had the chance to kill her myself. The Valerious bloodline travels all the way down to you. Since it was your great-great-great-aunt who aided in the killing of me and one of my brides I am now intent on revenge against the Valerious family. When I was revived I immediately came searching for you, when I found you I wanted to kill you right then and there. But something told me not to. For you see, I want to put shame into the name Valerious and how better to do it than by making you one of my brides? You will become a part of a species of which your family had been trying to kill off for so long. In one month you will be eighteen, correct?" Amira managed to nod dumbly. All this new information was now whirling around in her head. "When you are eighteen you will be of age and I will make you my bride." An evil smile crossed his face as Amira slowly rose from her chair and backed away from the vampire before her.

"Please," she pleaded, "I did not do anything to harm you. It was my ancestors, not me." His laughter echoed of the stone walls and filled the entire room. Tears began pouring out of Amira's eyes from fear, sadness, and a sense of hopelessness.

Dracula materialized behind Amira and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Do not be sad Amira. You will be happy with me I can assure you." That just made the tears stream down her face harder and faster. She began to sob uncontrollably. Dracula held her close until her crying subsided. When he was sure her mood was steady again he turned her around so they were face to face. Dracula loomed several inches above her. He bent down and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss lasted only for a moment before he materialized away into a library across the castle.

Amira just stood there after Dracula had kissed her. She was in a total shock. _He has no right to treat me this way! I really need to escape this place. Soon. _She could barely believe what had happened. She used to think that if Dracula swooped down and carried her away to his castle to become his bride she would love it and be happy forever. Instead she was very nervous and frightened.

It took a very short period of time for it to become set in her mind that she would attempt to escape this fortress tomorrow.

Amira awoke several hours before dusk in hopes of gaining a good head start before Dracula realized she was gone and came after her. She got out of bed and searched through her wardrobe for anything that would be easy to run in. After several minutes of searching she came across a white silk skirt with an unreasonably high slit on the side up nearly halfway to her thighs. There was a white silk shirt with a slight V neck to accompany it. She slipped into them quickly before leaving her room.

Once she left her room she immediately began looking for the armory. If she were to run into anyone or anything that wished to stop her escape she wanted to be well armed. She searched one of the main hallways until she came across a large pair of black wooden doors that lead to the armory. She opened a door just enough for her to slip inside before shutting it. She took a wicked looking scimitar from one of the weapon racks and strapped it to her waist. She also took a small dagger and hid it in one of the black boots she was wearing before leaving.

After being armed to her satisfaction she set off in the opposite direction of the count's personal bedchambers. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and Dracula as was humanly possible. Very soon she was hopelessly lost. All the hallways looked the same. Amira couldn't tell if she'd already been through a hallway or not. After running about for some time she finally sat down and tried to put her thoughts together. She had her face in her hands when a serving woman walked up to her.

"Do you need some help m'lady?" The serving woman inquired.

Amira took her head out of her hands and stared blankly at the servant before managing to say something. "Yes! Yes I do need some help. You see," she began to think quickly, "I am terribly hungry so I woke up and went searching for the kitchens." Amira remembered the kitchens were very close to one of the side entrances to this castle. "Unfortunately I do not quite know my way around the castle yet and I got lost. Could you guide me to the kitchens?"

"Of course m'lady! I will gladly guide you to them!" A grin lit up both of there faces. The servant held out a hand for Amira to take and helped her to her feet. She then immediately set off in the direction of the kitchens. Amira followed. Very soon they came upon the kitchens. Amira began walking through the kitchen doors before she remembered to thank the servant.

"Thank-"she cut off in mid sentence. The serving woman was no where to be seen.

Directly next to the kitchen do was the entrance out of the castle. Amira grinned and opened the door. She rushed through it and shut the door. She looked to the sky and saw that the sun was going to set soon. She immediately began running through the gardens surrounding the castle. She hadn't realized she had been lost in the castle for so long. Just as she was rushing through the gate out onto a stone paved street an ear piercing shriek rang through the air. Dracula was awake.

Amira tore through the streets in such a hurry she didn't notice that people were staring at her. People were pointing at her because of her odd attire and the fact that she wearing a scimitar around her waist.

She heard a window break some ways back and looked back for only a moment before forcing herself to run harder. Dracula had broken through the window and was now flying towards the town in his hell beast form.

Amira began frantically looking for a place to hide as people began to push her out of the way to put distance between themselves and the count. She found an alleyway and ran through it until she came to a dead in. She backed into a corner and prayed that Dracula would not find her. Her prayers were not answered.

"Amira." A deep voice with a Romanian accent drawled. "Oh Amira… Come out come out wherever you are…" Footsteps echoed off the walls as Dracula began to walk down the alleyway. "I know you're here Amira. I can hear your heart beating."

A voice suddenly called in her head. _What do you think you're doing? Do you want Dracula to find you like this? Huddling in a corner and sniveling like a baby? Get up Amira! Get up! GET UP!_

  
Amira slowly rose to her feet and pulled her scimitar out from its sheath. _I suppose all those fencing lessons I took will finally pay off. _The blade seemed to push the darkness of the alley away from her. Its bright steel shone from being polished very well. Amira was admiring its perfect balance when Dracula turned the corner.

"There you are Amira! I'm so happy to see you are well." His eyes traveled away from her face down to the scimitar in her hands. "Do you think that pathetic blade can stop me?" He began to laugh mirthlessly. "In case you have forgotten, my dear, I am of the undead; you cannot kill me with such petty things as scimitars! Just put the blade down and come with me. I will not punish you for running away if you do." His taunting just seemed to strengthen and anger her.

Amira slowly began to advance towards him. "Do you really wish to fight me, Amira? Even with the knowledge that I would beat you in an instant?"

"Yes I do." She spat coldly. "And I don't care that you will beat me. I just don't want to go back to your god forsaken castle without a fight."

Dracula began to laugh. The sound rebounded of the walls and made Amira spine tingle. It was an unearthly sound. "Very well Amira. I will amuse you." He grinned wickedly and rushed at her with a broad sword that had suddenly appeared in his hands. Amira managed to block the sword right before it struck her. The reverberations jarred her arms but she didn't notices. She ducked as he swung the sword at her head and rushed out of the alley.

"Do not worry Amira. I will not kill you. I would never kill my precious angel." He followed her out of the alleyway and began to circle her. Suddenly he rushed at her again and attempted to disarm her. Amira twisted out of the way and swung her scimitar at his neck. He blocked the attack easily and attempted once more to disarm her. This deadly dance continued for a quarter of and hour before Amira began to become worn down from lack of sleep and the mere fact that she was battling someone whose skills were much better than her own. Her blocks kept coming a little later each time he attacked her until she was barely managing to keep him from hitting her.

Finally Dracula twisted the scimitar out of her hands and watched it fly through the air to land in a market stand. Many of the people who had been curiously watching this spectacle gasped as the count disarmed the girl he had been fighting. Dracula just stood there for a moment, his blade pointing at her throat before he let it fall to his side. Amira managed to stay on her feet for a few moments longer before passing out from sheer exhaustion. Right before she passed out she muttered one word. "Damnit"

The count rushed forward and grabbed her body before it hit the pavement. He picked her up and held her protectively against his chest. He then walked over to the market stand and pulled Amira's scimitar out of the wood and strapped it to his own belt before transforming into his hell beast form and flying away back to the castle.

A.N. I hope you liked these chapters. They were fun to write. Please R&R. Make the reviews nice and long and tell me what you liked and disliked about these chapters. I'll post another chapter as soon as I can.


	5. Chapter 5

Terribly sorry about the lack of updating on my part. I've been overcome by a major writer's block but I felt bad about not posting for over a week so I forced myself to work on a new chapter. I promise to make the next chapter better. And longer.

Ch4

Amira awoke several hours later with her entire body aching. She turned over and stared at the blood-red painted ceiling for a bit before remembering where she was. Dracula. She slowly got out of bed and stretched to help the pain cease.

"Amira my dear. Good to see you're finally awake." Amira spun around and came face to face with Dracula.

"Can you try using the door every once in a while? I could have been taking off my clothes and you would have just materialized in." Dracula smirked at the idea. "Don't smirk at me like that Count!"

"I wouldn't talk to your master like that if I were you." His smirk grew. "I might just have to punish you." Amira had to calm herself so she would not shoot back a nasty remark at him. Oh god. He is my master. The reality of it all began to sink in.

"Well still. I think you should use the door instead of just appearing in here. It's rather rude. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to go take a bath. I am filthy from the little fight we had yesterday." Amira promptly spun on her heel and walked in the bathroom. There was already steaming water in the golden tub.

"I will be waiting for you in the main library my dear." Dracula called as she shut the bathroom door. "I have something for you." Amira turned around to stare at the closed door as if trying to see through it to Dracula. He has something for me? Amira was vaguely disturbed by? this. She wasn't sure she wanted anything that Dracula wanted to give her.

Amira quickly stripped off the once white clothing (It was now dirty and torn from the flight from the castle and the duel with Dracula) she had been wearing since yesterday and got into the tub.

When Amira was finished with her bath she towel dried her wavy hair and pulled out a random dress from the wardrobe. It was a light blue dress with elaborate swirls of gold embroidery at the hem of it. The V neck was rather low but she really liked how the dress fit perfectly on her slim form so she wore it anyways.

As she was turning to leave she noticed something shiny on her bed. She slowly walked across the room and looked at the object on her bed. She immediately realized it was the scimitar she had worn yesterday evening and a note with slanted but elegant handwriting on it. "The scimitar looks lovely on you my precious," she read aloud, "I want you to wear it." Amira looked at it in disgust. _Ugh. I hate this man! He's just trying to prove that I am no threat to him! Men!_ She stared at the scimitar for a moment before attaching it to the belt she was wearing. She didn't want to be caught unprotected around the other creatures that might dwell in this castle.

Amira left through the tall doorway leading into one of the main halls and headed for the library. When she walked into the room she awestruck by the sheer amount of books in this one room. There must have been thousands upon thousands of books in there. Amira stood there for a moment with her mouth open before Dracula called to her. "Amira my dear, you may gawk at my books some other time. I want to give you my gift." Amira shut her mouth so hard that her teeth clacked together.

Dracula was sitting in a large red armchair looking devilishly handsome. Amira didn't really want to be near him at the moment for it just struck her how revealing her dress was. She didn't want Dracula to get any ideas. She glided towards him anyways and sat in the armchair identical to his that was facing him.

The count rose from his chair and strode towards her. Amira willed herself not to act weak. After that disaster when she ran away she wanted to appear is strong as she could. He held out a hand for her to take, much like he did several days ago when he first met her. Amira hesitantly grasped his hand and he helped her to her feet.

"Don't be afraid, my precious Amira," He whispered soothingly to her, "I will not punish you for that little incident yesterday. You must not attempt to escape again however. I might get angry."

Amira had to battle with herself in order not to snap back at him.

"Turn around and shut your eyes my dear. I want to give you your gift." Amira slowly turned around. She desperately wanted to run as fast as she could away from this horrible man who had killed nearly all of her family but she forced her self to stay in place. Dracula moved her brown locks of hair out of the way, leaving her pale neck completely exposed. Amira began to quiver in fear. Has he decided to bite me now? She kept her eyes shut though. She felt something heavy being placed around her neck. "Open your eyes Amira."

Amira gasped in shock at the necklace the Dracula had given her. A mirror had somehow been place in front of her allowing Amira to see the necklace. It was the prettiest necklace she had ever seen; it was a pendant in the shape of a serpent. The serpent and the thin chain that held it were made out of the purest silver she had ever seen. The serpent's tiny eyes were made out of bright green sapphires. The chain was just long enough so that the small serpent hung in the middle of her chest. The odd thing was that the pendant seemed to change position whenever she didn't look directly at it; it made it rather mysterious.

"I thought you would like it." Amira jumped. She had forgotten Dracula was there. She spun around and stared at him. Dracula arched a thin black eyebrow at her. "Did I surprise you?"

"No. Of course not!" She snapped, angry at herself for getting surprised so easily. "Thank you for the necklace. It is beautiful."

"You are most welcome." He took a step forward, his voice becoming husky. "However, the necklace is not as beautiful as you." His eyes turned a dark blue. Amira took a step back and bumped into the mirror. Dracula stepped towards her, their bodies nearly touching. Amira was pressing her body against the mirror as if hoping she would sink through. He cupped her chin in one of his pale hands and brought her head up she was looking straight into his eyes.

"I will not let you seduce me, Dracula." Her words like venom and her eyes narrowing.

"Oh really?" Dracula smirked.

He then leaned down and kissed her. Amira felt as if she was soaring; she had never kissed so passionately or this well before. His mouth was warm and moist; his tongue seemed to be exploring every part of her mouth. Amira just began actually returning the kiss when a servant man walked into the room.

"Count, I was wonder-"His thin face grew bright red as he realized what they had been doing. Dracula and Amira both spun around. Amira took this opportunity to rush from the room mumbling an excuse about needing to fix her hair; it had in fact grown rather messy.

Amira was well out of earshot when Dracula began yelling at the unfortunate serving man. "You ignorant fool! Do you realize how close I was to getting her to fall under my spell!"

The serving man began stuttering desperate excuses about not knowing what had been happening but before he got very far Dracula ended his life rather gruesomely by biting into his neck and sucking him dry of blood. The body crumpled to the floor as the enraged count stalked to his room.

Amira slumped dejectedly on her bed, mentally berating herself for nearly returning the kiss_. I didn't mean to! It just felt so good. That man makes my skin crawl!_ That night Amira vowed never to let herself be seduced by Dracula again.

A.N. That took me forever to write even though it's rather short, which again I apologize a thousand times for. I got through the block at the end of the chapter though. This chapter wasn't totally fluff though. The snake necklace shall come into play later on in the story. –shifty eyes- I hope you liked it. Tell me what you liked and didn't like please. Just review!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer (I keep forgetting to add this in) - I don't own Dracula. Durh.

A.N. I would really appreciate it if people would review more! If your reading this story just tell my how you feel about it. I won't care if you don't like parts of it, just tell me. That will help me improve my writing which is what I really want to do. R&R

Ch5

Amira lay in her bed, staring at the red ceiling, thoughts whirling through her mind. It just seemed so unreal to her. How could this ever happen? _Why me?_ A single tear spilled down her cheek as she realized she would never see her family or friends again. Ever. Though she had always secretly wished for Dracula to take her away to his castle it had never been more than that, a secret wish. She had been so sure that it would never happen that she just dismissed the wish whenever she thought about it. _Oh god, why, why me? _With that statement repeating in her mind over and over again, she drifted off into a deep dreamless sleep when the sun was just beginning to rise over the buildings surrounding the castle.

Amira awoke some time later, tangled in her silk sheets from tossing about during her sleep. She slowly arose, not particularly wishing to be out of bed but not wanting to lie in it for another moment. She rubbed her eyes and yawned before beginning to stretch to loosen her muscles. Just when she finished her stretches someone knocked tentatively on her doors.

"Come in!" She had to shout to let herself be heard. A serving woman opened the door slightly and poked her head through.

"Master is requesting your presence in the minor dining hall m'Lady." The serving woman cringed, as if expecting Amira to hit her.

"You can tell _Master _to piss off and that his darling Amira will come down when she feels like it." She spat venomously at the serving woman.

"Master thought you would say that," The serving woman visibly trembled as she replied, "he also told me to remind you that you are still his slave, therefore you must obey his every request. However, he said that he will wait until you have prepared yourself. He also said that it would be wise to come for he would be angered if you do not."

Amira forced herself to calm down and said in a more polite manner, "Thank you-" she was cut when she realized the serving woman had already fled. _Are _all _of_ _the servants around here afraid of me? _

She promptly went to the bathroom and sank into the steaming water after taking off her clothing. She made herself bath her body very slowly; she was feeling rather rebellious and was determined to make the count wait as long as possible for her arrival.

Amira was feeling quite satisfied with herself, she had lolled about in the tub until the water got cold and then brushed her wavy locks of hair for several more minutes before spending a long period of time picking out a dress. She was feeling rather devious along too so she picked out very revealing attire. She wanted to taunt Dracula as much as possible before he bit her and she would be under his control. The top she chose had a corset that pushed up her breasts, making her cleavage quite noticeable. A servant of course helped her put it on. The skirt that went with it was also revealing; it was dark red, just like the top, with a slit that went up to the middle of her thighs, showing off her shapely legs. Her hair fell around her shoulders and down to the middle of her back.

When she looked in her mirror she realized something; she looked almost exactly like Anna. The only thing that was different was the hair color. She quickly turned away from the mirror for she was disturbed for some reason by the fact that she did.

Right before she was going to leave the room she turned around and picked up her scimitar from the dresser and strapped it on. She was actually growing fond of it.

Amira strode into the dining hall to find Dracula looking arrogant as always. He was leaning in a chair with his shining black boots propped up on the table and his eyes close.

"I'm glad you finally made it, my precious," the count announced, his eyes still closed, "I was beginning to worry that you did not heed my warning." He smirked.

"Of course not _Master!_" Amira exclaimed in a mocking voice. "I would never ignore _Master's _wishes!" Dracula opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm in your tone, my dear?" When he finally looked at her his eyebrows climbed quite high and his eyes turned dark blue. Amira smirked at his reaction.

"What? Oh, are you looking at me?" It was her turn to smirk now. Dracula opened his mouth as if to say something but instead flashed her a brief smile.

"Yes, actually I am." He replied. "Have you already given in to me, my dear? I was hoping for more of a challenge." He tilted his head to one side with a look of mock unhappiness on his face.

"I'm afraid not, Count." Amira strode over to the table and grabbed and bright red apple from a copper bowl before sitting down. "It will take more than a few kisses to win me over." She held the apple up to her eyes and examined it for bruises before biting into it.

"How did you like it?" He questioned.

"Like what?" Amira quirked an eyebrow.

Dracula smirked. "My kiss of course."

Amira shrugged. "It was alright. I've had better."

"Oh really? From the way you slumped into my arms I thought it was better than 'alright'." Dracula's smirk deepened.

Amira took another bite out of her apple before grimacing and putting it down. "The copper makes apples taste odd you know?" She looked into his eyes, "Perhaps you are losing your touch? I didn't exactly _slump _on purpose. I was just… caught off guard. That's all"

"Perhaps I am. Maybe I just need a little more practice." He moved his legs off the table and leaned across the table so they were only inches apart. "Would you like to help me regain my skills?"

Amira sneered at him and stood up. "I'm afraid I will have to decline. I have better things to do than make you a better kisser."

She was beginning to walk away when Dracula called to her. "Like what? You are my slave and I have not assigned you to do any work for me. You will have nothing better to do than walk around the castle."

"I would much rather do that than kiss you." She continued to walk toward the doors.

"Amira, my dear," he called. Amira stopped and took a deep breath to calm herself before turning around.

"Yes?" She asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"I'm not finished with you yet." And without further notice he disappeared from the chair and reappeared behind her. Unfortunately for him, Amira was expecting this and immediately elbowed him as hard as she could in his stomach. Dracula grunted with shock and actually staggered and fell over.

Amira walked over to him and placed her hands on her hips. "Don't you ever, _ever, _try to seduce me again." She hissed. She promptly spun on her heel and swiftly exited the room.

_Bad idea. Bad, bad idea. _Amira immediately began regretting her actions. _Now he's going to be pissed at me. _She began to wonder what he would do to her. _I'm such an idiot! _She walked into her room with a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Amira was walking towards her bed when a deep voice with a Romanian accent called to her. "Amira!" She turned around to see a very disgruntled count leaning against the large door. Amira took a step back when she saw his eyes, they were electric blue, it seemed as if sparks would start flying from his eyes at any moment. His fangs began to show as he took a step towards her. "I should bite you right now for you insolence!" His voice sounded very inhuman. Amira was about to take another step back when she realized something, she couldn't let Dracula walk all over her like this. She straightened her back and look defiantly into his eyes, pretending she was not afraid even though she was really terrified out of her wits.

"Do your worst to me, Count." Her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arm beneath her breasts. "You should not have seduced me last night Dracula. I will not let you do it again."

"You forget you place Amira! You are still under my power, and I will tolerate this sort of behavior!" He hissed at her. "I will do what I please with you."

"I won't let you treat me this way."

Dracula disappeared and rematerialized behind her, quickly catching her arms before she could hit him. He had calmed down to some extent so his voice was more human when he whispered in her ear. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to punish you for this, my precious."

His grip tightened and he materialized them both into a dank dungeon. A single set of large, iron chains were set on the wall to hold a prisoner's arms above their head.

Dracula forced Amira towards the chains. He quickly locked the shackles around her wrists before she could begin struggling. The shackles cut into her wrists, causing sharp pains to spike through her arms. Amira could barely touch the floor below her, but even in her present state of helplessness she stared defiantly at Dracula and smiled grimly.

"I will not give in to you Dracula. I will not."

Dracula chuckled at her defiance. "In good time you will. I am overpowering my dear, you cannot win. You will eventually succumb to me. I have all the time in the world." And with that statement echoing throughout the chamber Dracula vanished.

Amira hung her head in sorrow. "I'm not giving up without a fight!" She whispered fiercely to herself.


	7. Chapter 7

Dracula walked into the dungeon cell and found Amira hanging limply by her arms. She looked so ragged that Dracula almost felt pity for her. The necklace he had given her glinted in the moonlight that was shining through a small window in the cell. He strode across the cell until he was just inches from her sleeping body. It had been a night since he had imprisoned her here. "Amira," he called softly to her, "wake up my dear." Her eyes slowly opened and she stared at Dracula for a few moments before it registered in her brain that the man before her was her captor and flattened herself against the wall. She was so weary from struggling against the chains for many hours she didn't even bother trying to look strong and defiant. "Although I would like to keep you chained up here longer, I am having a visitor here tomorrow and I would like you to meet him." He waved his hands at the locks to unlock the shackles and let her fall forward into his arms. Dracula picked her up and carried her away to his chambers.

Amira woke up to find herself sprawled in Dracula's bed, his red and black silk sheets tangled about her body. She immediately jumped out of it and landed on the hardwood floor. "Ah, you're awake"

She spun around to find herself face to face with Dracula. "Do you watch me while I sleep or something?" she snapped at Dracula, annoyed by the fact that he was almost always waiting for her when she woke up. Dracula opened his mouth to reply. "Don't answer that. I don't want to know." She shuddered at the thought of Dracula standing over her, gazing at her while she slept. He smirked.

"Your wrists are hurt. Give me your hands." Amira looked down at her wrists and realized that they were hurt. They had been cut from her struggles and were now swollen, red, and raw. She didn't particularly want to have Dracula touch her but she also didn't want to have the pain in her wrists continue so she held out her arms for him to take. Dracula held her hands and Amira gasped in shock as her wrists went numb while they healed. His touch was cool and felt good against her skin but she still pulled away the moment they healed.

"There, there, my love," he cooed, "Doesn't that feel better?"

"I still hate you." She whispered venomously, as she felt her anger slowly begin to build. "You are an arrogant, malicious demon and I hate you more than anything."

"And you are a stubborn, sulky little teenager but I do not hate you."

"Self-conceited bastard," Amira muttered. She crossed her arms under her breasts and turned her head away from him. "And I'm not sulky."

"Yes you are." He stated. "You're sulking right now because I punished you after you disrespected me."

"Well in that case I think I have a right to be sulky!" she retorted. "That punishment was cruel."

Dracula felt the urge to change the subject. "My visitor is coming soon." Amira's large green eyes darted up to Dracula's icy blue ones. She raised a thin eyebrow questioningly.

"Visitor?" She questioned. "And just who is this visitor of which you speak?" She did not like the prospect of having a visitor here, she had a feeling Dracula would feel the need to flaunt his power over her whenever the visitor was about.

"He is an old friend of mine." Dracula replied. "You must treat him with respect. I would be forced to punish you again if you do not." Amira felt her heart skip a beat in fear at the thought of having to spend another night in that dungeon. She had to force herself to not rub her wrists where the shackles had left those horrific markings on her wrists.

"Is he a vampire like you?" She wanted to know. She did not think she could stand having to watch herself for two vampires for long.

"No." He replied. He gained a thoughtful look on his face. "I must confess I'm not exactly sure what he is. I used to think he was a man, but he has been in this world longer than I and he knows nearly everything to know about, well, everything." Amira felt both her eyebrows climb in disbelief. "His name is Zane. He has a rather…" He hesitated for a moment, searching for the right word to describe Zane, "odd appearance." He left it at that. "I expect you to serve him and make sure he has what he needs."

"And when will he be coming?"

"Tomorrow." He replied. "No more questions." A smirk suddenly crossed his face. Now that they were done with that he was feeling rather devious. He disappeared and reappeared behind Amira and grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. Amira was completely unprepared for this and did not even have time to fight back.

Dracula began planting kisses on her neck. Amira wanted to move but she felt as if she felt as if she was frozen to the spot. She shuddered as a feeling of ecstasy ran through her entire body. The Count tightened his grip on her and pulled her even closer to him. Their bodies seemed made for each other, and it made Amira quite nervous.

"You taste even better than Anna," he whispered amorously. Amira felt his fangs graze her neck and jumped with shock. She managed to pull herself out of his grip and stand a few feet away from him. She held a hand up to her neck and felt for blood, there was none. She was about to sigh in relief when she realize Dracula was staring at her rather hungrily. His eyes had turned and electric blue color as his fangs continued to grow. Amira held up her hands as she backed away slowly.

"Dracula," she warned quickly, "I will not be of age for a few more weeks. You said you would not bite me until I was 18." She began to feel around for a door knob, not daring to actually look behind her. Dracula slowly advanced on her, that hungry look in his eyes growing as he neared her trembling body. Amira finally felt the door knob come into her grasp. She tightened her grip as she opened the door. She quickly turned around and ran out of Dracula's chambers and slammed the door shut behind her. The loud sound caused Dracula to come to his senses. His eyes change back to its normal piercing blue color and his fangs slowly disappeared.

"Just a few more weeks," he muttered to himself. "Just a few more weeks and she will be mine forever." Dracula composed himself before he opened his chamber doors. He looked about the hall for Amira. She was no where to be found. "Probably sulking in her room." He muttered to himself. "Teenagers." He strode off to feed, after tasting Amira he had grown quite hungry.

Amira was indeed in her room, though she was not sulking. She was sitting on her bed with her arms wrapped around her knees, staring at the ceiling. She had to think. She thought the ceiling was so pretty, after she had stared at it for some time. At first glance it just seemed to be painted one solid blood red color but after examining it from her bed she realized it was actually painted several different reds, the colors ranging from a deep red that could almost be considered black to a bright red the hurt her eyes if she looked at it for too long.

She followed the swirling patterns with her eyes.

She was thinking about her relationship with Dracula. He kept insisting that she was his slave and yet he constantly treated her just like a guest. Maybe I'm not really his slave. Maybe it's just a scheme to keep me from rebelling and attempting to run away from him again. And then there were those times when he just seemed want to kiss and flirt with her. He has been without a wife in over 100 years though. He's probably desperate for some sort of female contact. Amira shuddered at the thought. But the shudder was not just of disgust but now also of excitement and anticipation for their next intimate contact. _But he's so frightening and overbearing sometimes! I'm not sure how much longer I can stand this!_ Amira covered her face in her hands. This was so confusing to her.

Amira felt the need to take a bath, she had been cleaned by someone after her imprisonment in the dungeon but she still felt dirty. She wanted something to do.

After taking her bath and dressing herself she decided she was going to search for a good book to read. She ventured a peek out into the hallway, not wanting to face the wrath of Dracula at the time. He was nowhere in sight. Amira walked briskly down the hall towards the library. She opened the doors and sighed, Dracula sat reading a book in an armchair in the middle of the library. Dracula didn't even look up when Amira entered.

"Come sit with me, my jewel." He called, still not looking up from his book. Amira walked slowly forward, her light yellow dress making a soft swishing sound against the floor. She sat down in the armchair across from him. She realized with a little shock that this was the same spot the two of them had kissed just two nights ago. "I am terribly sorry about my actions earlier today; I didn't realize how hungry I was until I tasted you." Amira stiffened for a moment. "Do you accept my apologies?"

"I do Dracula." Amira replied. She did not really want to meet Dracula's eyes; she was still a bit traumatized by the near fatal attempt Dracula had made on her life after "tasting" her.

There was an awkward silence between them until it was ended abruptly by a young serving maid rushing into the library. "My…Lord…" She paused in between breaths. The servant had run nonstop throughout the castle, searching for Dracula. "Zane…has arrived." She stood there with her hands on her knees, still trying to regain control of her breathing. "He's in the great hall right now, waiting for you."

"Hm…early as always." He muttered himself. "Thank you Aileen." Dracula stood and helped Amira to her feet. "Come, you must meet Zane." The two of them walked out of the library and headed for the great hall. "I expect you to curtsy when I introduce you to him." He told her. "You must always call him My Lord Zane unless he asks you to do otherwise and only then may you just call him Zane. He is very peculiar about that. When you curtsy don't make it too deep or he'll get upset but don't make it too short or he'll be offended. After you are introduced I want you to show you to his rooms which will be the guestroom closest to your own chambers." Amira was a bit bewildered by this sudden outburst of instructions she was too follow but she paid close attention to them. They soon came to the large oak doors leading to the great hall. "And please, for the sake of the devil, do not stare at him. It angers him greatly." _Did Dracula just plead with me? _She thought, confused. Dracula squared his shoulders and pushed the doors open. Amira's jaw literally dropped as she stared at the person standing before her.

A.N. Oooooh I just made a cliffhanger! Go me! Now you have to wait for the next chapter. Muahahahaha!

A.N. I'm afraid I wont be posting as much as I normally do..I'm banned from the computer so I'll have to get on late at night to finish my story. I do promise that I will finish my story...it will just take a little while. I'll try to make the chapters worthwhile so you wont have to wait forever for nothing. D:

A.N. I realise that I'm making Dracula seem like all he cares about is sex...which he doesnt. He just cares about it...well a lot. Besides, think about it from his perspective, he hasnt had sex in over a century and here comes this beautiful woman so he's jumping all over her. Ehehe. I'll try to lay off it more though. TRY!


	8. Chapter 8

Yes…This chapter is very late…very very late. Ok, it's so late it's not even funny. Some things came up and I simply did not have the time to write or I could not write. I'll try to post another chapter soon to make up for it.

Ch7

Dracula glance at Amira sideways to see her mouth hanging open. He stepped on her foot in order to make her shut her mouth. Amira glared at Dracula, he had stepped on her foot quite hard and she knew he did it on purpose. She couldn't keep her eyes away from the person in front of her for long though. Zane was the oddest person she had ever seen. The first thing she noticed about Zane was the collection of brilliantly shiny bracelets that dangled from his thin, pale arms. They glinted off the firelight and made her nearly have to squint. Her eyes traveled from his bracelets up to his face. He looked absolutely ancient; he had so many creases on his face you could barely see any of his other facial features. He had a wide smile painted across his face that showed that he only had three teeth. His hair was thin and white but also quite long, it reached past his shoulders. His small eyes were a dark brown color, so dark it almost looked to be black. She could tell that they held an infinite amount of wisdom and knowledge. The old man's choice of clothing could be called no less than strange. He was wearing a white tunic with green embroidery around the hems. A leather belt held the tunic in place. Amira could not imagine how Zane traveled here without attracting too much attention.

"Zane!" Dracula exclaimed. "So good to see you!" Dracula bowed politely and nudged Amira to curtsy. She curtsied elegantly before continuing her examination of Zane.

"Good to see you too, old friend." Zane replied. "And who is this young lady you have with you?"

"This is my…guest, Amira." Dracula replied. Amira kept a smooth face though she was truly puzzled. _First I'm his slave and now I'm his guest?_ She shot a glance at Dracula who was ignoring her.

"Pleasure to me you My Lord Zane." She said courteously. Zane's grin dropped quite suddenly as was replaced by a small frown. Amira was even more puzzled by this change in expression. _Did I do something wrong? _

Zane mouthed Amira's name and mumbled something under his breath. Amira began to get nervous. Zane stared at her before directing his stare to Dracula who raised an eyebrow questioningly at him. An awkward silence filled the air as the three of them just stood there.

"Vladislaus, may I speak to you in private?" Zane inquired. There was a dangerous gleam in his brown eyes as he looked pointedly at Amira. Dracula and Zane exchanged brief glances before both of them disappeared without warning. Amira jumped in surprise. She frowned at the spots where the two men had been standing just a moment ago before stalking off to her room. She was not quite sure she liked this Zane character.

Both Zane and Dracula reappeared in Dracula's personal chambers. Zane was contorted in fury which made Dracula puzzled. He had no idea what had was wrong. "What is it, Zane?" Dracula questioned.

"What is it? _What is it!_" Zane nearly shouted. "I _told _you not to kidnap the girl! Why do you always have to do this? Did I not say that the last Valerious would be the death of you one century ago?" He demanded.

"Yes but you also said that I would have to fall in love with her." He replied calmly. "Which I highly doubt that I will."

"Are you so certain?" Zane hissed. "You said the same thing five hundred years ago about Annaiya but you ended up falling in love with her in the end." Dracula gained a pained look in his eyes at the mention of his first bride, Annaiya.

"I will not fall in love with Amira." Dracula replied quietly. "She is just fun to toy with. In three weeks when she is of age I will make her my bride and that will be that." Dracula turned away from Zane to stare at the vast grassy landscape shown through the large window in his room.

"Must you always be so stubborn? All you need to do is take her out of your castle and back to her home. When she awakes she will either think it was all just a very vivid dream and even if she doesn't no one will believe her. All your problems will be resolved."

"I am not being stubborn." Dracula replied shortly. "Amira is a beautiful young lady. I want her as my bride." He began to pace the room. "I need to feed. Watch Amira for me please." He spun around and stared Zane hard in the eyes. "If she somehow escapes all blame will go to you. I will not be happy." Without another word he disappeared. Zane shook his head slowly and left the room.

Before long Amira grew hungry and left her rooms. She stalked off towards the kitchen with a scowl on her face. She did not want to appear sulky but she was angry at Dracula for leaving her so unexpectedly. She opened the doors to find Zane examining the food, tunic and all.

"Ah, Amira. I was wondering where you had run off to." Zane had a kindly grin plastered on his face. It made Amira sick. "Vladislaus wishes for me to watch you while he is off feeding."

"Watch me?" Amira replied scornfully. "Watch me like some pet? Is he afraid it might escape again and he'd have to come running after me? Wouldn't want to hurt his oversized pride." She grabbed an apple before stalking away.

Zane was immediately in stride with her. "You do that stalking thing rather well you know. Though might I say it will eventually begin to hurt your back. I suggest you end your stalking and stand straight like a proper young lady." Amira sped her pace up, hoping the elderly man would soon grow tired and leave her be. Zane actually did not grow tired at all.

Zane chatted contently with Amira, seemingly unaware of her obvious discomfort and lack of response. As they reached Amira's door she turned to Zane and forced herself to thank him for accompanying her back to her room before opening her door and sliding in and shutting it before he could follow.

Zane remained at her doorway for some time with an amused smile on his face before walking back to his own room.

A/N: I apologize once more for not posting at all…for three months. But I'm allowed on the computer now and my mind is brimming with ideas for this fanfic! I can't wait to post the next chapter.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Wow…I am seriously happy about the amount of reviews I got for the last chapter. I'm glad people have actually been missing me.

A/N: I'm happy that everyone liked Zane. I wasn't sure if I was going to make him extraordinarily sexy or extraordinarily weird. But then I realized that there was already one very, very sexy man in this fanfic…there doesn't need to be another…or does there?

Last A/N: This is a silly warning really, but I just thought you all should know that there is actually some language in this chapter. Amira curses a lot when she's angry…

Amira slumped onto her bed and took a rather violent bite out of the apple she had brought back. She nearly choked on the large chunk and had to spit it out, which only worsened her mood. Zane some how made her angry just by looking at her. She managed to calm herself down after a few moments and take more controlled bites out of her apple. When she was done her anger had been completely dulled and she became bored. _Walk. I'll go for a walk…In the castle. Fun. _

She sat up and walked towards the door. Just before she put her hand on the doorknob the door swung open and hit her directly in the face. She fell back onto her bum and blinked several times for stars had appeared in her vision. When her vision had returned she found a rather amused Zane standing over her.

"I do believe that it is most unladylike for someone such as you to sit on the floor." He stated as if it had not just been his fault that she was sitting on the floor in the first place. "I doubt it's comfortable either." Amira tried to hide her anger but she knew she failed miserably. _Remember your manners, Amira! _

Amira gritted her teeth and smiled as best she could at Zane. "Actually, it's quite comfortable, My Lord Zane." Her words oozed sarcasm. "Would you care to join me?" _Shit! Think humble! _She immediately dropped her gaze and mumbled a hasty apology.

"Oh don't even bother trying to be servile; anyone with half a wit could see that you're lying." Her face colored and she realized that she was still sitting on the floor. Zane held out his hand and pulled her to her feet with surprising ease for someone of his age and build. "And don't call me 'My Lord Zane', I hate that." Amira hastily brushed herself off before staring at him confusedly. Count Dracula had made him seem like Zane had been all about rules and titles but he was not at all. "Come sit with me Amira. I have something I would like to discuss with you." They proceeded to sit in the arm chairs in her room.

"As you already well know Vladislaus will soon be making you his bride." He stated calmly, as if this was not a touchy subject for her. "What are you going to do about your predicament?" Amira blinked in surprise at the question.

"Uh…I'm not really sure. I suppose I was just going to marry him and live a life a misery." She replied a bit sarcastically. Zane laughed mirthlessly at her reply.

"Of course you are. But I can't have a beautiful young lady like you wasting your life with someone like Dracula." Amira was shocked by his reply.

"What are you saying? I thought you and Dracula were friends?"

Zane sighed over dramatically and explained in an overly patient voice, "Of course we are friends! But I can't have him marrying you. You're much too dangerous." Amira raised her eyebrows at this comment.

"Dangerous?" Amira said incredulously, "Me? Hardly." Zane snorted.

"You may be dangerous, but you seem incapable of forming a complete sentence. But let's stick to the matter at hand; I want, no I need you to escape, and I am willing to help you if you wish it." Amira sat there, dumbfounded. _This is a trick! _A voice in her head said immediately. _Don't fall for it! _Another voice then proceeded to shout out, _I say trust him! He doesn't seem to be lying. _

"I know what you're thinking right now, you think that I'm tricking you, but I am not." He took on a pleading tone, "Please, you must trust me."

A silence filled there room until Amira stated, "Let me think about it." Right after that moment Aileen opened the door and announced that Dracula wished to see Amira immediately in the library. Amira jumped to her feet and bid Zane good evening before following Aileen out the door.

Amira walked into the library to find a very angry Dracula staring at the ceiling. The look on his face made her want to turn around and run off to her room, but also, to her minor disgust, she realized that he also looked very attractive. _Stop thinking about him like that! _

Dracula turned his angry gaze to Amira and forced himself to become calm. "Amira, my love, have a seat please." Amira walked cautiously over to one of the armchairs and sat down. Dracula had resumed to staring at the ceiling, "I heard that you and Zane had a little chat." Amira started, _how did he know about this already? _He turned to her and asked her rather bluntly, "Are you planning on attempting to run away again?"

Amira opened and closed her mouth several times before finally saying, "No." He sneered, easily seeing through her lie.

"You're lying, my dear. You're a very bad liar."

"Well what did you expect!" She suddenly shouted. "Did you truly think I was happy here? Just yesterday you had me chained to fucking wall! I hate you! I hate this place! All I want to do is go home and have everything return back to the way it was before you kidnapped me!" Amira stood up and stalked towards Dracula and poked him hard with her finger. "You've taken everything away from me. You took me away from my friends, my family, my home, just for your own selfish reasons!" She barely realized tears were streaming down her face as she continued to shout at him. "I hate you! I fucking hate you! I hate you with every fiber of my being! I want you dead!"

Dracula was truly taken aback for a moment; he hadn't expected such an outburst from her. Then he experienced a feeling he hadn't even known he had the capacity for: pity. He felt pity for the miserable girl in front of him, but the Count was far too devious a man, he knew he would never take her back to her home, and that he would make her his bride. However, he did step forward and hug Amira gently, and he let her weep until she could weep no more before carrying her to her room and laying her in her bed. Amira fell asleep as soon as he tucked her in.

Dracula stared at her for well over an hour, just watched her laying there. He realized he found her beautiful, even though her cheeks were still red from crying, and as he realized this he wanted her even more.

A/N: I know, I know, this chapter was rather short…I just really needed to post this to keep you content for a bit…I'll try to make the next one longer. And I'll explain how Amira's ever so dangerous in possibly the near future. Don't worry…this will all fall into place…eventually.

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to post the next chapter. Stupid computer…

A/N: Bow before my power to make armchairs disappear and reappear at a whim!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: This chapter is longer. Yays!

Ch 10

Amira woke up later that evening due to a pounding headache from crying so hard. She sat at and suddenly the night's past events flooded back to her. She was immediately disgusted at herself for displaying so much emotion in front of Dracula. _He must think of me as a weak little girl. _She let out a moan of hatred of herself and Dracula.

"Glad to see you're awake."

Amira screamed in surprise and fell out of bed. Dracula raised his eyebrows at her shock and let out a short laugh. Amira scrambled to her feet and glared at Dracula; of course, this did not have much of an effect on the Count.

"What do you want?" Amira hissed through clenched teeth.

Dracula adopted an innocent look as he replied, "I just wanted to see if you were alright." The innocent look was soon lost as the beginnings of a smirk appeared on his lips. "After your little fit earlier this evening, I was worried if you were going to be okay." Amira had to force herself to stop grinding her teeth in frustration.

"I'm quite alright, thank you very much. After all, it was just a _little fit_." Her eyes glinted dangerously as she said the last two words. "I need to take a bath, I feel unclean. Please leave me."

"Oh, I don't think I'm finished with you just yet." Amira attempted to brush past Dracula on her way to the bathroom but Dracula caught her arm and spun her into an embrace. He then proceeded to plant delicate kisses on the back of Amira's neck. Amira could practically feel the lust emanating from the Count.

"Dracula, please," she pleaded as she attempted to wriggle out of his grip. "Leave me be." _But it feels so good, _a small voice in her mind whispered devilishly. _Give in to me, Amira, _a stronger voice said. Amira pushed away from Dracula and backed into a chair causing her to fall backwards over the arm of the chair.

"Give into me, Amira," Dracula repeated out loud as he began to advance towards her slowly, sensuously. "You'll find me much more agreeable if you do."

"Stay out of my mind, Dracula," Amira snarled dangerously. "At least give me some small shred of pride and stay out of my mind." She jumped to her feet and rushed towards the bathroom. Right before she stepped through, Dracula appeared in the doorway. He leaned casually against the doorframe.

"Fine. I'll stay out of your mind. You will submit to me eventually; it will be much more pleasurable if I do it without mind control, I suppose." He disappeared as quickly as he came.

Amira returned from her bath sometime later feeling much better. She was still considering Zane's offer though. _What if he's lying or tricking me? Or what if Dracula captures me after me escape? He would punish me much worse than the last time. But then again, this may be my only chance to escape. If I don't take it, I could be doomed to live under Dracula's control forever. And what was all that about my being dangerous?_

Her mind bombarded her with questions and possibilities until she eventually blocked them out.

Amira sat in a chair and tucked her legs under her, still wondering what to do when someone knocked on her door. "Come in," she called softly. "The door is unlocked." Aileen opened the door.

"Count Dracula is requesting your company at dinner tonight. It will be in one hour. Dress nicely." And then she was gone.

She dressed slowly, choosing a black dress that fit her nicely. It was sleeveless and it had a V neck, but it wasn't very revealing, unlike most of the dresses in her wardrobe. After she was dressed she put her hair up, but left a few locks of hair hanging down. After she was finished looked herself over in the mirror. _God, I look _really _good. _She smirked and spun around. Her smirk dropped when she realized how arrogant she was acting. _What's wrong with me? I never would have acted this way before Dracula kidnapped me. _She left her room with a glum look on her face.

Dracula and Zane were conversing softly when Amira entered. They both stood up as she came in and bowed in unison. _You would think this is scripted or something. _When they straightened however, both of their jaws dropped at her appearance. "My precious Amira, you look absolutely stunning!" Dracula exclaimed. He rushed forward and led her to her seat.

Zane remained where he was standing with a small smile playing across his lips. He turned towards Amira and said, "You look lovely, my dear. I am honored to be graced by your presence." Amira raised and eyebrow at his statement, but soon forgot about him once food appeared on her plate. She immediately began eating, for she had just realized that she was extrodinarily hungry.

"So, Amira," Zane said conversationally after Amira was nearly finished eating, "Have you been considering my proposition?" Amira nearly sprayed out the wine she had been drinking in shock. Dracula tilted his head to one side with a confused look painted across his face.

"Um…yes I have." Amira replied nervously. "But we should really talk about this another time, don't you think?" _Good god! Is this man dense?_ She looked meaningfully at Zane, but Zane either did not comprehend that she didn't think this was the best time, or he just chose to ignore her look.

"What proposition?" Dracula questioned. "What are you talking about?" He took a sip of blood from his goblet. "Are you two keeping a secret from me?" He smirked at the thought.

"Oh, just something Amira and I have been talking about." Zane replied. He grinned and laced his long fingers together. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Vladislaus." _God, Zane isn't only dense, he's completely insane! _"Now Amira, have you decided yet?"

Amira coughed and looked around. Both Dracula and Zane were staring at her which made her nervous. "Well…I…um…" she stuttered, still not sure if she wished to escape with Zane or not. Finally she muttered, "_No_" under her breath. Zane leaned forward.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you my dear. Could you repeat yourself?"

"I said no!" Amira shouted. She calmed down and repeated herself. "I said no."

It was Zane's turn to tilt his head to one side and act confused, however, he replied calmly, "I see. Well, I that settles the matter I suppose." He then smiled brightly and turned to Dracula. "So Vladislaus, unfortunately I cannot stay very long; I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow."

Dracula frowned but replied, "I am sorry to hear that, my good friend."

Their conversation continued for several minutes until Amira stood up to leave. "I'm going to take a walk." She then walked out of the room.

"I fear that I must retire, my good friend," Zane stated. "It has been a long day for me and I wish to sleep. Goodnight."

"Good night Zane." Dracula replied. The Count leaned back in his chair and placed his legs on the table while he thought of what proposition they could possibly be talking about.

Amira was waiting for Zane outside of the dining room. She immediately rounded on Zane the moment he walked out. "What the hell was that about!" She demanded. "Did you get dropped on your head as a child!"

Zane smiled thinly and replied, "Well, it was getting incredibly dull in there; all Dracula was doing was watching you eat." Amira was mildly disturbed by the fact that Dracula was staring at her. "I decided to spice things up a bit!"

"Spice thing up? _Spice things up! _He's never going to let up about this, you know!"

Zane cackled evilly. "I know! That's the best part."

"You bastard. You fucking bastard!" Amira exclaimed. "You have a sick sense of humor, Zane." And with that she stormed off in an incredibly bad mood.

Zane rushed after her and touched her on the shoulder. Amira spun around and shouted, "What!"

"You're overreacting, my dear child," Zane stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "I was just having a bit of fun." He smiled warmly at her. "You must realize that you need to keep your temper, it could get you killed one day if you don't. But I am sorry if I hurt you, I act without thinking quite often."

"You know everything though. You should have seen this coming."

Zane looked up at her and laughed. "Yes but sometimes I ignore the things I know. I like to put caution to the wind."

They continued walking together in silence for some time until Zane asked, "Why didn't you take my offer? Do you not trust me?"

Amira laughed, "No, not really." Her laughter died away as she considered his next question. "I…I…I don't really know why I said no." she replied. "You and Dracula were staring at me and it got me nervous, so I just said no."

Zane gazed at her thoughtfully. "So do you wish to stay with Dracula and become his bride?" he questioned.

"I, well, no." she said. "I mean, Dracula is an incredibly good looking man, and he has a reasonable amount of manners, I suppose. But he is also a bloodthirsty demon, and I never really feel safe around him. I don't want to be with a man I can't trust."

"I see. Well, my offer still stands, and will continue to stand until I leave." They stopped at the doorway to his bedroom chambers. "I do hope you will reconsider." Zane opened the door and stood in the doorway. "I bid you good night, my dear." And without another word, he disappeared into his bedroom chambers and shut the door.

Amira continued walking down the hall until Dracula suddenly appeared in front of her. Amira jumped in surprise and nearly fell down. "Terribly sorry to surprise you like that, Amira." His eyes glinted with malice. "Here, let me steady you." He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "Let's go on a walk shall we?" Amira didn't even bother to answer.

"So what have you two lovebirds been up to?" Dracula asked.

"Oh nothing much, Count. We were just making out in the hallway before he went to bed." Amira replied sarcastically.

Dracula smirked and looked down at Amira. "Oh my, I haven't been replaced, have I?" He exclaimed with mock surprise.

"Replaced? Ha!" Amira laughed mirthlessly. "There's nothing to replace seeing how there was nothing between us in the first place!"

"Oh really? I wouldn't be so sure about that." He slid her over so that she was in front of him and began kissing her neck. Amira felt shivers go down her spine, she wasn't sure if it was from joy or disgust from being touched by this man.

"Please Dracula." Amira moaned. Dracula wrapped his arms around her stomach and pulled her close.

"Say my name." he whispered in between the kisses he was still planting on her neck.

"What?" she asked.

"Say it. Say it and I shall let you go." He continued to kiss her as he moved his hands slowly, sensuously over her body. Amira involuntarily let out a moan of ecstasy.

"Dracula…"

"No..."

Amira paused, idly realizing that she had never said Dracula's first name aloud before. She slowly mouthed his name silently before whispering it aloud, "Vladislaus…" Dracula smiled against her skin and placed one last kiss on her neck before disappearing.

Amira was left in a disheveled mess. She slowly smoothed her hair out and waited for her heart to stop beating so fast. She stood there for a moment more before realizing with a shock that he had somehow managed to undo her bra without her knowing. Her face reddened with fury and embarrassment as she rushed to her room and slammed the door behind her.

A/N: R&R my faithful readers, R&R.

A/N: Oh, and don't think that Dracula is being stupid. He hasn't forgotten about the "proposition". ;D


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Yep…my computer is being a fag. Idunno but I couldn't log on for a long period of time. Blah. And then I got lazy. I want all of you to send me angry emails if I don't post something every week. It will give me motivation.

_----_

_Oh my god. The nerve of that man! How the hell did he undo my bra without me noticing? _Amira was pacing around her room furiously. She had to give him credit though, she was quite sure that not many men could do that without her knowing. She muttered a series of profane curses under her breath in annoyance.

She spun around when she heard someone cough politely. Zane was standing in her door way with a very amused grin on his face. Amira adopted a calm exterior as she ceased her pacing. "Yes, Zane?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing." His smile widened as he eyed her disheveled hair and clothing.

"I'm doing absolutely fabulous." Amira replied airily. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep?"

"Well I was trying to, but with you and the Count snogging so loudly it became quite hard." Amira's face turned bright red.

"We were _not _snogging. We were…we were…taking a walk." She finished lamely.

"Of course you were." He smirked and sat down in an armchair. "My offer is still open you know. I'll be leaving tomorrow, so this will probably be your last chance."

Amira stared at him for a moment, trying to consider all the possibilities. _I really want to leave, but what if Dracula hunts me down after I escape? _She frowned at the thought of having to run from Dracula for the rest of her life. _This is probably my last chance though. I might as well take it. _She opened her mouth to reply when the door opened abruptly to let in a very arrogant Count.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?" Dracula looked very unconvincingly surprised as he noticed Zane in the room. He smirked before continuing, "I heard that you're leaving, Zane. I'm ever so hurt that you would run off to tell Amira first. Have these past 600 years of comradship meant nothing?" Zane arched an eyebrow but did not answer. Dracula strode purposefully across the bedroom to Amira and picked her up quite effortlessly. He then sat down in her chair and placed Amira on his lap. She let out an indignant squeak, but knew it would be unwise to move. Dracula was practically emanating danger at the moment.

"I'm terribly sorry but I am feeling cramped in this castle already. I must leave before I become an irritable old man." Zane's eyes twinkled as he surveyed the two before him. Dracula began twirling a piece of Amira's hair around his finger.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Zane. You will be missed, by the _both_ of us." He tugged sharply on Amira's hair as he emphasized on the word "both". Amira twinged, but nothing more. Zane's many arm bangles created a soft tinkling noise as he shifted in his chair. "I wish you could have stayed here for the wedding." Amira's heart immediately plummeted at the mention of the wedding. Dracula merely smiled."Amira will soon become my bride, and then we shall be inseparable." Zane carefully kept a look of mere curiosity on his face as he tilted his head to one side.

"Ah well. I suppose I should be leaving now. It will be a long day tomorrow, and I was like to get started on my packing now." He stood up and brushed his tunic off. _Oh my god. He's going to leave me here with Dracula! _Amira would have gotten up, but Dracula was clenching an entire fist full of her hair in one of his hands that she did not intend on getting ripped out of her head.

Quite suddenly, Amira felt herself tumble to the ground as Dracula stood up. His face was contorted in fury as he spat, "Don't think I didn't know about your proposition!" Amira crawled back until she bumped into an armchair and stood up. Dracula advanced menacingly upon Zane, who at the moment had a shocked expression painted across his face. "You think you can steal her away from me! You think I cannot handle a little girl!" Dracula was now looming over Zane, their faces mere inches away from each other. "She _will_ be mine; and there's nothing you or your stupid prophecy can do about it!" He abruptly spun around on his heels to face Amira. "And _you! _How dare you even _consider _his proposal! You will be punished for this, most assuredly!" He turned back to Zane. "I will not do anything to you, Zane, for you have been my friend for too long. You will not be allowed to see Amira again, lest you get any more bright ideas." He stood there, panting for a moment, for he had finished his rant.

"Amira." Dracula ordered. "Come with me." She did not move she was still shocked at the sudden outburst. Dracula sighed and strode over to her. He roughly grabbed her arm and pushed past Zane as he dragged her out of her room. Amira finally gained her senses and started to walk on her own. Dracula stared straight ahead, as if she were not there. When they finally reached their destination, which was a dismal looking cell and pushed her in. Shackles immediately snaked around her arms and legs and locked themselves. Amira stood there for a moment, staring at Dracula with an expression of complete and utter despair before collapsing on the floor. Dracula stood there for a moment, staring at her limp form, before shutting and locking the steel door and walking away.

_-----_

_Holy shit. Where am I? _Amira slowly cracked her eyes open and realized that she was on the damp stone floor of a cell. _Oh yeah... _She attempted to stand up but her head started to spin and she had to sit back down. _I wonder if Dracula will kill me. _She squeezed her eyes shut and suppressed a sob that threatened to escape her trembling lips. _I don't want to die. _"I don't want to die." She whispered softly to herself as a single tear dripped from her eye to the tip of her nose. "I don't want to die." She repeated. "I don't to die!" Amira slammed her fists down onto the cold floor as she screamed as loud as she could.

"That's good to know. I was afraid you were already dead." Amira looked towards the direction of the voice and saw Zane's face through a small, barred opening on the door.

"Is your offer still open?"

Zane grinned as he replied, "Yes, yes. Of course it is. I was hoping you would take it this time." His face disappeared for a moment before the cell door swung open. Zane rushed in and sent out some sort of power that unlocked the shackles that had imprisoned her. He inspected her quickly to see if she had any serious injuries. When he was sure she wasn't hurt he helped her to her feet.

"We have to leave as soon as possible. We don't have much time. It took me _ages _to find this cell. Dracula will only be asleep for a few more hours and we need to put as much distance between us and Dracula as possible. Follow me." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. "We shall be taking a train out of Budapest, so you won't have to stand on your feet too long."

Amira thought it a bit peculiar that the halls were completely empty. "Where are all of Dracula's servants? Surely Dracula has some human servants that clean the castle during the day."

"I've put them all under a sleeping enchantment that shall keep them out cold for the next few hours." He replied hurriedly. "Stop wasting your breath and keep moving!"

They rushed through the halls as fast as Amira could and soon found themselves at the huge front doors. The doors opened before them and they found themselves in the gardens Amira had only briefly glimpsed they last time she had attempted to escape. She had only a few moments to stare at the beautiful flowers and trees before she was being pulled by Zane towards the streets of Budapest. They we jostled about by the crowds of people, but Amira soon saw something that looked like a train station. "Quickly now! The train will be leaving soon." In mere minutes Zane was speaking rapidly in Romanian to one of the workers and they were led onto the train.

Everyone was staring at the peculiar pair walking through the train, but soon they were led away from their prying eyes to a private compartment. The worker bowed to Zane and Amira and shut the door behind him as he left.

"You may rest now, Amira. We are safe." Amira welcomed the idea of sleeping on a proper bed with open arms. She walked over to one of the beds and collapsed on it without another word. "For now..." Zane finished quietly to himself.

----

A/N: Well, that was a fun chapter to write! R&R and I'll promise to work on another chapter as soon as possible.


	12. Chapter 12

Ahem. I now give to you...Ch 12 in all its glory!

----

Amira stood alone in a dark hallway. She could barely see two feet in front of her, but she already knew exactly where she was going, though she didn't know how. She put her hand against a moss covered wall to help guide her as she began to walk forward.  
After a few minutes she felt a bump in the wall and recognized it as a door. She pushed it slightly and it swung open before her, revealing a dimly lit room with a stone coffin in the center. On further inspection of the coffin Amira noticed that there were many elaborate carvings, mainly depictions of creatures of evil such as demons and the like. Around the edge of the coffin was a continuous carving of a thorny stem with roses. The name DRACULA was inscribed on the coffin in an elegant script where one's chest would be if one was to lie in it. It sent chills down Amira's spine. She continued to examine the coffin, and even attempted to lift the lid, but it was so heavy she doubted that even two full grown men could lift it.

Without warning, a chilly wind swept throughout out the room, blowing out all the torches and leaving Amira in total darkness. Just as suddenly, all the torches burst back into flame and the lid to Dracula's coffin slowly began to slide off. Amira gasped and jumped backwards. It finally hit the floor with a deafening crash. Out from the depths of the coffin rose an enraged Dracula .His hair was not pulled back in a clip as usual and his eyes were electric blue. He immediately lunged at Amira, who was now lying on the ground."You are MINE!"He shrieked as he flew in the air toward her. A wordless scream was ripped from her lungs as he tackled her and bit violently into her neck. Her neck was immediately engulfed in a fiery pain that Amira had never felt before. She felt her life slowly drift away in painful agony. Dracula was suddenly pulled away by an unknown force; his teeth were glittering red for her blood and his hair was in a disheveled mess. He looked more animal than human.

"Amira!" Some voice was calling to her...

"Amira! Stay with me Amira..." It was so faint...

She felt her body relax as the last of her life ebbed away...

"Help...me..."  
----  
"Amira! Wake up Amira!" Amira woke up after a particularly violent shake from Zane. "Are you alright? You started tossing and turning a few minutes ago and I couldn't wake you up." Zane's eyes were filled with concern. "Amira? Can you speak?"  
"He's...he's awake. And he knows I escaped..." She could barely speak, her throat was raw from screaming.  
"Don't worry. We will be reaching our destination soon." Though his words were somewhat comforting, Amira could see that he himself was worried.

"Where are we going?" Amira wanted to change the subject.

"Ah! I'm glad you asked. We are going to London to meet up with a group of vampire hunters called The Night Stalkers. They should be able to protect you."

"How are you friends with these people? I thought you were on Dracula's side."

"I am. But it would have been unwise of me to oppose them. It's difficult for me to explain. The politics of the UnderWorld are very complicated."

"The UnderWorld?" Amira raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"The UnderWorld is a name we, meaning vampires and other super natural beings, give our world."

"Ah. And these Night Hunters-"

"Night Stalkers" corrected Zane.

"Right. Night Stalkers, are supposed to protect me from Dracula, the most powerful vampire on Earth." Amira stated doubtfully.

"Well...I'm sure they'll try to. Whether or not the succeed is the question. But it's the best hope you've got. I just hope we make it to London before Dracula finds us." Amira began to fiddle uncomfortably with the snake necklace Dracula had given her. Zane's eyes widened as if in recognition. "Where did you get that necklace?" He asked urgently.

"Dracula gave it to me." Zane snatched it out of her hands. "Hey! I actually like tha..." Her voice trailed off as the snake started glowing in his palm.

"Just as I thought." Zane looked straight into Amira's frightened eyes. "Dracula has enchanted this necklace. He probably has some sort of magical tracking device in it. We have to get it off of you as soon as possible."

"I can just undo the clasp." Amira began feeling around the chain, but to her dismay, could not find it.

"The clasp probably melded into the necklace the moment he put it around your neck." Amira began tugging at the necklace in an attempt to break it. "Do you really think that Dracula would have placed that necklace around your neck if he thought the chain could be easily broken? No, it can only be broken by magic."

"Can you do it?" Amira looked desperately at Zane.

"Yes. But it will drain a lot of my power, leaving me near defenseless if we have to battle The Count." Amira clenched her fists in fury.

"Fucking bastard."

"Watch your language. I need you to lie back down on your bed. If you feel any sort of discomfort, meaning the necklace is burning your skin or something of that sort, just tell me. This is a bit dangerous on a moving train, but we must get this done as soon as possible." Amira lay down and attempted to lie still. Zane stood over her with his eyes shut as he began muttering under his breath. Her necklace began to glow as he continued to mutter incantations until the train jolted as if it had run over something. Zane stumbled and lost his concentration and the the necklace ceased to glow. Zane let out a stream of profanities that made Amira's eyes widen.

"Watch your language."

"Oh shut up. Lie back down." Amira hadn't realized she sat up when the train jolted so she lay back down obediently. Zane soon began the incantations again and Amira's necklace was glowing in a few moments. It began to feel cold as ice against her skin but she didn't say anything about it. The snakes little black eyes began to obtain a white glow. The necklace's glow grew brighter and brighter till Amira had to look away for it hurt her eyes. Zane reached out with a thin hand and grasped the snake charm. He uttered one last word and tugged at the chain. It instantly broke into hundreds of tiny links.

"You did it!" Amira exclaimed.

Zane smiled weakly and replied, "Could you please catch me? I do not wish to dirty my tunic." Amira barely had enough time to jump out of bed and catch him before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell backwards. Amira picked Zane up easily for he was very light, and placed him on the bed.

"Dirty your tunic?" Amira doubted she would ever understand this man.

----

Amira attempted to read one of the books Zane had in his pack, but they were much too complex for her. She doubted she would have read it anyways, she was much too worried about Zane's well being. She spent most of her time pacing back and forth across the room. Eventually food was brought to them, but she didn't touch it.

What if he doesn't wake up? Amira glanced nervously at Zane's sleeping form. No. Don't think that way. He will wake up.

He has to... Zane took this moment to leap out of bed, wild eyed. "How long have I been asleep?"

Amira, who had fallen over a chair in shock, stood up and replied, "A few hours. Four at the most."

"Really? I haven't slept that long in decades!" He grinned widely. In a more sober tone he added, "Unfortunately, my powers have been been depleted to such an extent that I doubt I'd be able to lift marble with them. We will be very vulnerable until we get to The Night Stalkers, which should be very soon actually." He cocked his head to one side as if he were listening for something. The train screeched to a halt a few moments later and a barely audible voice began speaking in Romanian over the intercom. Amira made out the word "London" and knew that they must be at the right stop.

They were about to exit their room when Zane exclaimed in surprise,"Oh my! We must change into something less conspicuous. We don't have much time, so change into these in the bathroom over there as quickly as possible." Zane tossed her a bundle of clothing and shooed her into the private bathroom. She stripped down and put on the clothing as quickly as she could. It was only after she had finished dressing she realized that the clothing was all black and that there was a small red insignia on the left sleeve of her jacket. It was a fierce looking outline of a hawk with it's wings outstretched. She didn't examine it for too long, they were too pressed for time. She picked up her old clothing and stuffed it into her bag before leaving the bathroom. Zane was wearing a black trench coat with the same insignia on the left sleeve. Amira was about to ask about it but Zane was already pulling her through the crowd of people leaving the train.

"Fortunately for us The Night Stalkers' den is fairly close to where we are right now. We shouldn't have too far to run." Zane immediately strode off down a dark street. He didn't even bother looking behind him to see if Amira was following him. He didn't really have to though, he already knew she would.

It only took them about fifteen minutes before the reached the entrance to the den, which happened to be in a small, dirty alleyway. The same insignia was carved on the door, but the red paint was chipped and dull. "I don't want you to talk to anyone until I say it's OK. Just stand next to me and keep your mouth shut." Amira nodded silently and squared her shoulders. "Now then," a small smile played across his lips. "Welcome to the Den of the Night Stalkers." He pushed open the door.

----

A/N: Woo! That's was even funner than the last chapter! There wasn't much Dracula in it though. He's gonna come back soon, probably next chapter. That nightmare that Amira had was actually based on a similar dream I had a few weeks ago. I like how it turned out. Well, tell me what you think of it. Are you disappointed with it? Are you dying for the next chapter?I WANT TO KNOW! Send me reviews!

A/N: BTW, this isn't gonna turn into one of the Good vs. Evil stories. I hate those stories...

A/N: I know, I know, Underworld is a movie. I was lazy and I couldnt think of a better name. **  
**


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: HOLY CRAP MY VOLLEY BALL TEAM JUST GOT SECOND PLACE IN A TOURNAMENT! Party! I'm in such a good mood that I decided to write another chapter! Huzzah!

----

Amira felt a cold draft of air expel from the Den as Zane opened the door. Zane walked in and Amira followed tentatively behind. It took Amira a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting in the room, but when they did she realized that they were in what looked like a bar. There was a bar at the far end of the room and several pool tables in the center. There was even a couple small t.v.'s playing some sports game. Everyone in the room shifted their eyes to the odd pair as the door slammed shut behind them.

"Well this is an appealing place." Amira whispered sarcastically to Zane. Zane just smiled and winked at her.

There was a few moments of uncomfortable silence in which Amira began rocking back and forth on her legs before a man sitting at the bar strode forward. His body was swathed in a black cloak that, with his shoulder length blond hair. His skin was pale, and his lips a luscious red. He was very handsome in Amira's standards. The man stopped several feet away from them and surveyed both of them with bright green eyes that seemed to penetrate Amira's soul.

"Zane? I thought you were dead!" The stranger grinned wolfishly and revealed rows of bright white teeth. Zane just laughed and embraced the man.

"Dead? Ha! You should know better than that, Alzain!" _Alzain? That's pretty hot name_. _Not as hot as Vladislaus..._ Amira _blinked. Where did that come from?_

"And who is this beautiful young lady?" Alzain smirked fiendishly as he gazed cooly at her with those bright green orbs.

"This is-" Zane began, but was soon cut off by Amira.

"Amira. My name is Amira." Amira flashed a smile at Alzain but had to cough in order to cover up a giggle that attempted to bubble through her lips. _What am I, a school girl!_ _Get your act together you stupid twit! And stop gawking at him!_ Amira shook her head and smiled again. "Amira. That's a very pretty name." Alzain's grin widened as Amira blushed and had another "cough attack".

"Now as much as I love observing you two flirting with each other, I believe that Alzain and I have business we need to attend to." Zane stepped between the two young people and slung an arm around Alzain's shoulders, or, at least attempted to. Zane was much too short and Alzain much too tall so Zane ended up grabbing him by the arm and pulling him away. Amira just stood there, not really sure what to do until Zane turned around and called, "Amira! Sit at the bar. I'll be back in a moment." He turned back to Alzain and began whispering in his ear. _He just expects me to do whatever he wants doesn't he?_ Amira sighed and began muttering curses in Zane's general direction as she stalked towards the bar. "And stop stalking!" Amira whirled around to see Zane's back turned towards her._I hate it when he does that_.

Amira glanced at the room but found nothing of interest. Everyone had gone back to playing their game of pool or drinking their alcohol or sharpening their knives. _These people don't look like very good vampire hunters. They just sit around drinking their booze and looking like ordinary depressing people. How dull._ Amira had propped her chin on her hand and was staring at the wall listlessly when she felt hands be placed on her shoulders. _Dracula!_ Amira immediately twitched and elbowed the person behind her for she was expecting the worst. She was rewarded with the sound of a grunt as her elbow came in contact with someone's stomach. She whirled around to find Alzain lying on the floor and Zane laughing hysterically._ Whoops. Oh well._ Alzain picked himself up off the floor as rubbed his stomach. "Should I have been expecting that?" Alzain asked Zane, who was wiping away tears that were streaming down his face.

"Well, I wasn't." He wiped away the last of his tears and smiled. Alzain shook his head and turned to Amira.

"I'm sorry if I scared you. I didn't know you were so jumpy."

"Well you can't blame me! I've been in a very life threatening situation for the past few weeks."

"Ah yes. I understand that you've been imprisoned by Count Dracula. We were hunting him for centuries until we heard that Gabriel Van Helsing killed him. We thought Dracula was gone forever, but apparently he's come back even stronger than before. I have agreed to protect you, but I'm not sure how long that will be possible. Dracula has many allies that could easily snatch you from our midsts without us even knowing until after you were gone. Be that as it may be, we will protect you as best we can." He grinned and held out an arm for Amira to take. "Shall I show you to your room?" Amira took his arm and was led away down a narrow flight of stairs to a hallway with doors on either side of it. Alzain led her to a door with a large number 8 painted on it. He pushed the door open and walked inside. "It's not much, but it's the best we can do under such short notice. My room is right down the hall, it's number 13. If you need anything, just give me a knock."

"Thank you for everything. I know this is a lot to ask of you, I've probably put the whole lot of you in danger." She stared at the floor tiles. _I can't believe I've actually become dangerous to be around._

"It's alright!" Alzain smiled brightly. "We're actually excited to have you here. The Night Stalkers haven't had many demons to battle lately and we've been rather bored. Now that you're here we should get plenty of excitement from battling Dracula's minions."

"Ah. Well in that case, I'm glad to be here."

"Well, I have to go inform all my brutish Night Stalkers why there is a fine lady in their midsts. You are free to roam about, just don't leave the building." Alzain bowed slightly and left.

_Ah, the Night Stalkers prove once again that they know how to treat a guest._ She eyed the furnishings with slight disdain. The bed was just a stained mattress that lay in the middle small room. The lamp hung from the ceiling, but it was so dim that it didn't add any illumination to the room whatsoever, not that Amira was sure she wanted the rest of the room lit. She sighed and trudged out of the room into the hallway, it was as poorly furnished as her room. _At least it's not Dracula's castle..._ A cockroach scuttled across the hallway, causing Amira to shudder. _Then again, I'm quite sure Dracula didn't have insect problems._

"Amira! There you are." Amira turned around to see Zane jumping down the stairs two at a time. _Where in hell does he get all this energy?_ "How do you like this place so far? I know it isn't much, but it's the best place we've got." _Zane...is he a double agent or something? He's obviously close friends with Dracula, but he's also got all these connections with people on "the other side". Can I trust him?_

"Amira? Are you alright?" Amira hadn't realized that she had been staring at him and shook herself.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking." She managed to smile weakly, but Zane wasn't convinced.

"Are you sure?" He looked so concerned. "I'm sure." She smiled more convincingly this time.

"Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?" She wanted to change the topic.

"Yes, yes. Could we go into your room? I would like some privacy." Zane didn't wait for an answer, he pushed open the door and walked inside. Once they were inside and the door was shut Zane turned to her. "I wanted to give you something." He opened his trench coat and uncovered a bundle hidden away. It was the scimitar she had stolen from Dracula when she had tried to escape the first time. "I want you to have some sort of protection, but I was in such a hurry I forgot to give it to you before now." He handed it to her and she strapped it to her waist. Amira felt as if someone was watching her as soon as she put it on.

_"Amira..."_ A smooth and seductive voice whispered in her ear. Amira jerked her head around to find no one beside her. Amira glanced at Zane.

"Did you say something?"

Zane cocked his head to one side with an expression of curiosity painted on his face. "No. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"Shouldn't you know? I thought you knew everything!" Amira exclaimed, feeling annoyed with the constant questions.

"I don't know everything. You take things much too literally. Let's just say I know a lot. Unfortunately, my knowledge does not include your emotions and feelings."

Amira's face reddened after her outburst. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We have more important matters on our hands than apologies. Like food! I'm starving. Would you care to join me for a bite to eat?" "Of course I would." Zane linked his arm around hers and led her out of her room to the cafeteria

. ----

_Meanwhile..._

Dracula angrily paced back and forth across the ceiling of his bedroom. _Damn that Zane! All I wanted was to get my revenge on the Valerious family and Zane has to go and interfere, just like he always does. It's going to get him killed one day_. There was a timid knock at his doorway and Aida, a servant ofDracula's, peeked her headin. Dracula hopped from the ceiling and landed directly in front of her, causing her to jump backwards. "Did they find her?" Dracula questioned immediately.

"Yes." Aida was visibly cowering under Dracula's intense gaze.

"Well? Where is she?"

"She's um...well...she's with the-the Night Stalkers." She held up her arms as if it would protect her from a blow that would surely follow the information she had just relayed to her master. Aida peeked through her arms at Dracula, and instead of finding him furious, like she expected, he was laughing silently to himself. He finally threw back his head and let out a sinister laugh that filled the hall and the room behind them. "M-m-master?" She questioned him, sure that he had finally cracked.

"Oh yes. I have her right where I want her now. She won't be getting away from me!" Dracula turned his back on his faithful servant and walked back into his room. He turned around and called to Aida just before she left. "Bring me Naythorn. He and I have a little plan to devise..."

----

A/N: Alrighty! I just thought you should all know that I NEED MORE REVIEWS! I, like so many other authors, practically live off reviews! I dont care what you write, as long it isn't a flame! I just want to know how you think of my story. R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R!

A/N: I've got an idea: If I get 8 reviews for this chapter by SaturdayI shall post another chapter this weeked. THAT SHOULD BE INCENTIVE ENOUGH!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, just like I promised.  
**

**----  
**

Amira felt considerably better after having a small dinner with Zane. She had even met the current members of the Night Stalkers.

Though there were only seven of them, each of them was very skilled in one area or another. Alzain was the lead of the band, and a quiet young man named Mayan was second in command. Talon was the master healer and a huge man called Dab was the teams top weapon creator. Sang and Toran were identical twins with an uncanny knack of infiltrating buildings. Lastly, there was dark young boy named Ivan. "That boy can't be older than 14! Why do you let him fight?" Amira asked Alzain.

"Don't let his appearance fool you. That 'boy' is actually over a century old. He was bitten by a vampire maiden and left to die. A previous band of Night Stalkers saved him and he's been part of the Night Stalker community ever since." Amira frowned as she surveyed the vampire child, _I cant imagine what it would be like to be trapped in a child's body until I died_. "Don't pity him. He hates that."

_So this is it?_Amira swept her gaze over the small group. Though they all looked tough, this wasn't exactly the protection she was hoping for. Mayan whispered something in Alzain's ear that caused him to raise an eyebrow as he stared at Amira. Amira realised he was eyeing the scimitar at her waist."Can you fight?" Alzain asked inquisitively.

"Well...I suppose."

"Well, in that case...defend yourself!" Quite suddenly, Alzain was rushing towards her with a sword in his hand. Amira barely had time to pull her scimitar out from it's sheath before he was on her. Next thing she knew, their blades were clashing together. Alzain hopped back before rushing forward, swing his blade high. Waist is open. Amira dodged the heavy sword and attempted to slash his waist, however, Alzain's weapon easily blocked the attack. Soon they were both trying their most complex moves on each other in attempts to get through the other person's defenses. They seemed equally matched for a few minutes, but soon Amira started to get tired. Sweat was dripping down her forehead into her eyes and her blocks were getting sluggish. After a series of particularly advanced moves,  
Alzain twisted Amira's scimitar out of her hand and let it fall to the floor. They both just stood their, staring at each other as they panted heavily. Then Alzain grinned wolfishly sheathed his blade. He picked up Amira's scimitar and artfully twisted it around so Amira could grab the hilt. "You're a good fighter." He complimented. "I'll admit that you have a better form than most people, but you don't have enough stamina. I'm thankful for the workout though." Without another word he strode off. Sang and Toran rushed up to Amira and patted her on the back.

"Bravo!" Said one.

"I've never seen anyone last that long against Alzain. With the exception of Ivan, that is." Commented the other.

"But he has an unfair advantage, being undead and all." Chimed the first one.

"True, true." They both grinned and nodded before running off.

Dab and Mayan both walked up to congratulate her. Dab grunted in approval before turning away and Mayan shook her hand. Mayan opened his mouth to say something, but was pushed away by Talon, who had a medical kit in his hand. "I'm going to check you for any injuries." Talon stated in a brisk tone. It sounded more like a command.

"I'm quite sure I'm-" Amira began, but was soon cut off by the healer.

"Nonsense! This is very routine." He pushed her down with a force the belied his scrawy appearance and swept his hands over her body. "Hm. Well, nothing seems to be wrong with you." He sounded slightly disappointed. He pulled a small vial out of the confines of his med-kit and handed it to her. "This should replenish the energy you lost during the fight." He stood up and walked off. Amira swirled the contents of the vial for a moment before downing the whole thing in one swallow. A tingling feeling swept through her entire body as her body was rejuvenated.

"You fought well." Amira looked up to see Ivan standing over her. He helped her to her feet. "I'm surprised you lasted so long." He  
spoke with a faint French accent. Though Ivan's body was several years younger than Amira's, he was still over an inch taller than her.

"It was a pleasure meeting you." He held out a pale hand which Amira shook before walking out of the cafeteria.

"Umm...ok. Bye then." That was...interesting.

"Bravo! I love watching sword fights!" Amira turned around and saw Zane sitting on an overturned table.

"Well I'm ever so happy I could keep you entertained." Replied Amira sarcastically and began to turn away.

"I can see why Dracula likes you so much. You two are practically a perfect match" Zane smiled to himself.

"What?" Amira spun around and glared dangerously at Zane.

"Your extraordinary beauty, your biting sarcasm, the dangerous air about you; Vladislaus loves dangerous women, you know. Yes,

I've made up my mind, you two are perfect for each other." Zane's smile grew wider as Amira glowered at him.

"Well If we're so perfect for each other than why the hell did you help me escape?" Amira shot back.

"Because I like stirring things up." He cackled maniacally.

"You're insane!" Exclaimed Amira incredulously .

"Thank you. But don't worry, you're quite safe with the Night Stalkers."

"Easy for you to say, you aren't the one Dracula's after." I can't believe this man. Stir things up? Who does he think he is, putting people in danger for his own amusement!

"We're going to protect you." Zane smiled kindly. "You were in danger, and I had to help you." Zane sighed and stood up.

"Unfortunately, I have reasons to believe that we won't be safe for very long."

"Why?" Just after Amira asked, a huge explosion caused the entire building to shake. Amira dove for cover behind a table as another explosion erupted through the building.

"That's why." Zane replied, smiling sadly.

----

Dracula was waiting in his study when Aida announced Naythorn's arrival. "Master, Lord Naythorn has-" Aida stopped abruptly as she was pushed away from the doorway by Naythorn. Aida scrambled up and glared daggers at Naythorn before rushing out and shutting the door behind her.

"Does the stupid girl always have to announce my arrival? It's bloody annoying." Naythorn had a rough English accent.

"I will not have you treating my servants this way Naythorn. I hate having to recruit new ones whenever my guests get angry at one of them and kills them." Dracula propped his feet up on the priceless rosewood desk in front of him, not caring about the scuff marks he made with his boots.

"Well, what do you need? I doubt that you called me up here to have a cup of tea." Naythorn crossed his arms in front of his chest and shook his dark brown hair out of his eyes.

Dracula laced his fingers together and said, "Right you are. I want you to help me retrieve something."

"Help you?" Naythorn arched an eyebrow. "I could just retrieve it myself, you know."

"Not it, her. And I need to be there."

"Ah, a fair maiden is she?" Naythorn sneered at Dracula.

"I will pay you one million pounds."

"One million pounds, eh? Alright, you've got yourself a partner." Dracula swung his legs off the desk and stood up.

"Good. I want this young lady." He picked up a picture of Amira from his desk and showed it to Naythorn. Naythorn smirked. "Don't even think about it, she is mine.Her name is Amira, she has taken refuge with a band of Night Stalkers in London. Zane is with her." Naythorn's eyes lit up with the mention of Zane.

"Night Stalkers, a beautiful young lady, the infamous Zane? This is gonna be a party. When are we going to get her?"

"As soon as you can assemble your team. I want this done as quietly as possible." Dracula pulled out a suitcase from under his desk and opened it to reveal half of the million pounds he promised."This is five hundred thousand. You'll get the other half when we successfully capture Amira." Naythorn took the money and stuffed it in the pockets of his black leather jacket.

"I'll call you when I've got my team together." Naythorn spun around on his heels and walked out of the study.

"I hate making deals with filth." The count muttered to himself.

----

_Two hours later..._

"We've got the girl's location." Naythorn told Dracula inside an abandoned warehouse several blocks away from the Night Stalker's den. "We're gonna knock down the door and swarm the place. Those Night Stalkers wont even know what hit them."

"Excellent. Now mind you, no matter what the costs, do not harm the girl or Zane. Anyone else is fair game." Several members of Naythorn's team grinned maliciously, including Naythorn, showing off their fanged teeth.

"Right then. They're hideout is a couple of blocks away, we can reach it easily by flying-"

"No!" Dracula exclaimed. "We are not to attract any more attention than necessary. We travel there by foot."

"Fine. Let's move out then."They trotted out of the warehouse and towards the hideout. "Why is this girl so special to you?" Naythorn asked Dracula.

"That is information I'd rather not share with someone I don't fully trust."

"I'm hurt, Dracula." He let out a sob in mock sadness. "After all we've been through?"

"Oh shut up. I'm not paying you to talk. And don't even touch the girl. I want to retrieve her myself."

"I hate making deals with aristocrats..." Naythorn grumbled under his breath. One of the men stopped suddenly, causing the others to stop too. "We're almost there. Stop talking." They moved forward more silently now. Soon they reached the entrance to the Night Stalkers' den. "Ethan, you know what to do." Ethan ran forward and put some type of explosive at the foot of the door and lit it.

"What? I said quietly!" Dracula tried to rush up and knock the explosives out of the way but was stopped by several pairs of strong arms that pulled him away. "Damn you Naythorn!" He pressed his hands over his ears as the bombs exploded, tearing the door and part of the wall off. Dracula quickly regained his composure and strode forward, Naythorn's team rushing towards the destruction behind him.

----

"Are you alright?" Zane was standing over Amira with a worried expression on his face. Dust was swirling about them so Amira could barely see.

"Yes, I'm fine." Amira stood up. "What the hell was that?"

"I'm afraid that was-" He was interrupted as the Night Stalkers streamed through several doorways and made a protective circle around Zane and Amira.

"Stay low Amira!"

"Don't worry, we'll protect you!"

"We're gonna keep you safe."

But Amira barely heard these encouraging comments; all she could see was a man standing atop the rubble. A man with piercing blue eyes, a man with pitch black hair and pale skin. Amira managed to utter one word, "Dracula."

"Amira."**  
----  
A/N: Woo! That was really fun to write. The next chapter is gonna be just as intense, so stay tuned!  
**

**A/N: I want to thank all of you for writing such wonderful reviews. I'm really happy about the amount of reviews I got. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!**

**A/N: Ignore the fact that the name "Night Stalkers" was in Blade Trinity. I forgot...BLAH! **


	15. Chapter 15

Amira felt her knees buckle at the sight of Dracula._ He found me in what, 2 days? _She wanted to run away from this horrific man. She wanted to just disappear. "Pull out your scimitar, Amira." Amira turned around and stared blankly at Zane, not really comprehending what he was saying. She was too focused on the man standing a mere twenty feet away from her. "Amira!" She jumped and pulled out her weapon.

"Zane!" Everyone's eyes flicked to Dracula. "Do you always have to make such a fuss whenever I find a woman?" His tone was somewhat good natured, but Amira could see the dangerous glint in his eyes.

"I'm afraid that's the way I am, Dracula. You know how much I like stirring things up." His bracelets chimed together as he pushed them off his thin wrists and tucked them away. Dracula laughed maliciously. Everyone unconsciously moved closer together as the chilling sound rebounded off the stone walls.

"That I do, Zane. But why did you have to get all these people involved?" He sneered at the small group of hunters surrounding Amira and Zane. "All the gruesome carnage! These poor people." He wiped away a fake tear with a long white finger. Amira's knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip on her scimitar and stared at the ground, she did not wish to give Dracula the pleasure of seeing her distress. Her entire body shook with frustration and hatred for Dracula. _Why is he doing this to me? I just don't get it... _

"Oh let's just stop with the foreplay Dracula and get this over with." (Ignore the gayness of that sentance. -sigh-)Zane snapped in annoyance."I'm not going to give her up. You know this as well as I." Zane pulled out a staff from somewhere in his trench coat and stepped forward.

"So be it." Dracula snapped his fingers and two scores of vampires streamed out of the gaping hole that had been created from the explosion to stand in a line directly behind him.

"I suggest," Dracula called to the ring of hunters, "that you surrender Amira now, if you value your lives." He made it sound like they were making small talk about the weather.

Alzain actually laughed openly." Like we would do that." He scoffed. He turned to Amira. "I'm going to keep you safe," he whispered, so only she could hear, "I promise." Amira felt her heart beat faster as he smiled at her. _This is no time to go weak in the knees Amira! _She returned the smile before turning to Dracula with a calm expression on her face. She could tell the Dracula was barely keeping his emotions at bay. _Just couldn't keep the men off you now could you, Amira? _Amira forced herself to not show any emotion as Dracula's voice crept into her mind. _I'm hurt. Aren't I enough for you? _Amira forced him out of her head and attempted to set up a barrier to her mind. Dracula easily broke through and began mocking her once more. _Your defenses are pitiful. I would expect better from the Last Valerious. _He made 'The Last Valerious' sound like some sort of title. Amira's face grew hot with embarrassment and fury. She wanted to hurt him. She wanted to _kill _him. Wanted to make him pay for all the things he had done to her. She felt some sort of hidden power take over her and she fell into a state of veiled calm. She slowly raised her head and glared fiercely Dracula. _Pain. Make him feel pain. _She sent out blast of power that hit Dracula like a tidal wave. He staggered back with a shocked expression on his face.

"Kill them!" Dracula shouted, his anger getting the best of him. The vampires surged forward as did the vampire hunters; Alzain and Zane remained at Amira's side. There was a moment of near deafening silence before the warriors met. Suddenly, the sounds of metal clashing on metal and men's cries filled the air. Ivan darted about, his dagger gleaming with blood. Dab was creating havoc with a huge halberd. Sang and Toran were weaving in between the vampires, their identical faces set with a grim expression as they cut through the mercenaries with their swords.

As skilled as the Night Stalkers were, they could not compete with the overwhelming amount of vampires. "I have to help them." Alzain stated. He looked at Zane, who nodded and he rushed into battle, eager to help his comrades.

"I want you to leave, I am afraid this battle is hopeless." He raised his hand in order to stop Amira from protesting. "I suppose the proper thing to do would be to protect you, unfortunately, I'm not proper. I suppose it's time for me to do something heroic. Farewell Amira, it's been a pleasure." And before Amira could utter a single word, Zane was in the midst of the battle, dealing death with his staff.

Amira was torn between helping her protectors and doing the wise thing and running away. However, she did not have much time to choose, for a lithe vampire rushed seemingly out of nowhere and lunged at her, fangs bared. Amira ducked just in time and the vampire flew over her head, landing with inhuman grace on the floor. He immediately jumped up and pulled out a long, menacing looking dagger. He tossed it from hand to hand as he began to advance on her. Suddenly, he leapt forward with the dagger raised high. He slashed downwards but was blocked by Amira's scimitar. He sprang backwards and attacked again. Amira barely had time to block each attack; she was already tired from the fight with Alzain and knew she wouldn't last very long. Her attacker on the other hand, seemed to possess an endless amount of energy. At one point in their battle when their blades were locked and their faced were nearly touching he whispered silkily, "You are getting tired."

"Thanks for pointing that out." Amira retorted through clenched teeth. She pushed back and attempted to attack him, but as she raised her scimitar she made a fatal mistake; she left her entire left side completely open. The vampire instantly realized this and slashed her across the stomach, creating a deep gash. Amira buckled forward and fell on the ground, tears of pain instantly springing into her eyes and streaming down her face. She let out a low wail as an unimaginable agony took over her body. She clutched her stomach as she felt warm blood stream out of the wound and seep through her shirt. Through all the pain she could see the vampire standing over her, chuckling softly. _No...I don't want to die. Not today. _She could just see her scimitar out of the corner of her eye, lying on the floor. _Only one chance. _Amira suddenly kicked the vampire in the shins, causing him to fall on the ground. She grabbed her sword and before the vampire could get up, she plunged it into his heart. The vampire gaped at her in disbelief, his eyes bulging. Amira grabbed the hilt with both hands and twisted it, destroying the heart. The vampire screamed in pure agony before disintegrate into dust. Amira swayed for a moment and collapsed onto her knees, forgetting her scimitar once more as she held her stomach. She stared up at the ceiling and whispered to no one in particular, "Help."

It was as if that single word was all that was needed. Dracula looked up; he was just about to kill Sang when he heard the small cry of distress. He saw Amira lying on the floor, blood pouring out of a horrible gash on her stomach.

He pushed everyone out of the way as he ran to Amira's side. An overwhelming sadness overcame him at the sight of the dreadful wound. "Amira..." He whispered softly. He picked up and held her head close to his chest. "Amira..." He whispered again. A single tear escaped his eye and tumbled down onto her face. He placed his hand on the gash and whispered her name again. The wound began to glow and slowly heal itself. When it was finally healed he held her head close to his mouth and whispered in to her ear,"Amira. You've lost too much blood. Drink." He sliced open one of his wrists with his fangs and pressed it onto Amira's mouth. At first Amira didn't respond to the warm flow of blood rushing into her mouth, but soon she raised her hands and clutched his wrist and sucked his blood for all she was worth. The taste was intoxicating, it was salty and thick, but she liked it. She _loved _it. She couldn't stop herself; all she could think of was the blood. She wasn't quite sure how long this went on, but suddenly, it was torn away from her grasp. Amira began to protest, but she blacked out before she could say anything.

----

**A/N: Huzzah! I'm finally finished. Sorry it took me so long, I was having a simply awful writer's block. Well, it turns out that I am best in my sleep deprived state! I managed to churnup this entire chapter in about two hours. Yay! **

**A/N: R&R my new story, Harmony's Lament. You simply must. **

**THE POWER OF THE ALMIGHTY FANFIC WRITER COMPELS YOU TO READ AND REVIEW! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!**


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: YAY. I'm incredibly sorry it's taken me so long to update...I've just over come quite possibly the worst writer's block I've ever experienced. It's not like I haven't tried to write this chapter, it was just that whenever I got to a certain point I'd immediately hate it and just delete the entire thing.It was dreadful, really. Plus I hate forcing myself to write causeitalways comes out socrappy and Ididn't want tomake a crappy chapter!. Anyways. ENJOY.

A/N: Oh, and I would like to dedicate this chapter to my good friend and editor,Kerry. She kind of compelled me to finish writing this chapter, so applaud her!

ONE MORE A/N: Ignore any of the grammar errors and whatnot; I was just so excited about posting this chapter that I only did a quick spell check. ;P

JRTKJRAKLWFHKFHJKFHALKW

A/N: I'm starting over. I don't like what I've written but I might just keep it. I'm going for more of a funny chapter this time instead of sad sad everyone's dead. :D

Amira woke with a start, drenched with sweat. She had dreamed she had died in the arms of Dracula, but that couldn't be right. She tried to stand up, but her head started to spin so she lay back down. Her head felt like it was about to split in two. When she trusted herself to be able to stand up, she got slowly out of bed and walked unsteadily to a mirror. Her face was as pale as death. _Am I a vampire? _A momentary panic took over her body before looked out her window and realized that the sun was just setting now; she would have been dead long ago from the exposure to sunlight if she had been turned into a vampire. _Wait, I'm back in Dracula's castle! How the hell did I get here? _Panic overtook her body once more. _Dracula must have captured me. And that means that The Night Stalkers must have been killed. _A sense of despair caused her sit down on the floor as everything rushed back to her. She wept openly for the loss of her protectors; though she only knew them for a short period of time, she felt terrible knowing that it was her fault they were dead. Amira remembered the gash on her stomach and lifted up her shirt. She gasped in surprise; her stomach was as flawless as it ever was. Nothing remained of the terrible wound she had received. _How did it heal? _She had no recollection of drinking Dracula's blood and the thought of it just healing as if by magic disconcerted her. She was pulling her shirt back on when she heard a sudden 'pop!' directly behind her.

"Good morning sunshine!" Amira jumped and whipped around to find Zane standing before her.

"Zane!" Amira exclaimed, her glee apparent. "You're alive!" She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a back breaking hug. Zane struggled for breath as he patted her awkwardly on the back. When she finally let go he stood there for a moment trying to catch his breath.

"Pleased to see you too, Amira."

"Are the Night Stalkers alright?" Amira asked anxiously.

"Oh yes they're fine. None of them were injured too badly, though Talon brokehis rightarm. It should heal soon enough though."

"Thank god! I was so worried about them!"

"I assumed you were."

Amira suddenly changed topics and began questioning Zane."What are you doing here? What am I doing here? What happened?" Zane stopped her stream of questions by raising his hand.

"Err...well you see...the thing is..." He began wringing his hands with a very guilty look on his face.

"Spit it out, Zane!"

"Unfortunately I can't exactly tell you what's going on. The ah...Powers That Be have forbidden me to talk about it."

"The Powers That Be." Amira crossed her arms under her breasts and stared at Zane.

"Now don't get me wrong, I would certainly tell you if I could, but I'm afraid I can't. You'll find out about it soon enough though! In fact, we only have a few minutes."

"What the hell are you talking about Zane?" Amira adopted a stern expression as she continued to stare at him.

"Look, I got in a bit of trouble for attempting to meddle with the future, meaning when I helped you escape Dracula's clutches. So The Powers That Be forced me to come down here and start a bit of a...rumor about you and Dracula so things will go out as planned. I swear I wouldn't have done it if I had had a choice!"

"What do you mean, a rumor?" Amira began to feel a growing sense of dread in the pit of her stomach.

"I can't reveal this to you. I shouldn't even be here right now, really! I just thought you deserved a bit of a warning before you had to face Dracula."

"This isn't much of a warning Zane. It doesn't even make any sense!"

"I truly am _terribly _sorry about the inconveniences you're going to have to face until the wedding, but never fear! I believe that all shall end in your favor in the end." He gave her a hearty wink. He glances down at his wrist. "Oh my, look at the time! I really must be getting off!"

"Hey wait Zane! You don't even have a watch on!" Amira reached out to grab his arm but he was gone with another faint pop before she could latch hold to him.

A moment later the door to her bedroom opened and Dracula entered the room, fury painted plain across his face. "Where is he?" He shouted.

Amira took a step back and held up her hands as if to protect herself. "Who?" She asked innocently.

"Zane!" He roared. "I'm going to kill that bastard!" He began searching Amira's room from head to toe for Zane, but couldn't find him anywhere.

"He's not here, you know." Amira told him, her arms once again folded under her breasts. "Why are you so angry with him?"

"For spreading lies, that's why!" His Romanian accent became so thick from anger she could barely understand him. He suddenly stopped searching for Zane and began pacing the room back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back. He began muttering to himself as if Amira weren't even there. Amira could just make out the words 'affection and Zane and torture'. "You!" He suddenly spun around and pointed at Amira. "Come with me! We have things to discuss." Without another word Dracula left the room with Amira right behind him, too bewildered to disobey.

They soon came to his study. The doors flew open before Dracula even touched them, as if they were afraid to face his wrath if they did not open right away. "Sit." He ordered coldly. He pointed at a red velvet chair in front of his desk. He took the large leather chair from across his desk.

"What happened?" Amira demanded.

"What happened? WHAT HAPPENED? Affection happened! That's what!" Dracula began to grow a bit hysterical when he reached the word affection. "I showed affection towards you after you were injured by that insolent fool. Now Zane has been creating rumors and they've been spreading like wildfire! I'm losing my respect in the underworld because of you and your inability to refrain from doing stupid things like running off with Zane!" Amira did not dare interrupt him whilst he was ranting, so she just sat there with a cool and calm expression on her face. "You foolish, inconsiderate woman! What possessed you to believe that you could escape from me? And now look at the damage you've caused! Do you even realize what you've done to me?" Amira wisely refrained from pointing out that it was he who kidnapped her in the first place.

Instead, she said, "Could you please explain exactly what is going on?"

Dracula sighed and placed his head in his hands and rested there for a few minutes. Amira began to think he wouldn't answer when he twitched and brought his head up.

"After you were hurt by that vampire during the battle is showed affection towards you. I allowed you to drink my blood so you could survive from the fatal wound you had received." Amira attempted to interrupt when he told her about the blood drinking but Dracula just raised his voice to a sort of a half yell." The entire room saw it and Zane has been spreading rumors around. It has put me in a very strange light. According to Zane, I saved your life so I could ah..." he took a deep breath, "force you into submission and to become my..." he hesitated once again, "pet." Amira choked on air and began coughing loudly.

"Excuse me!" She gasped in between coughs. "Your PET!" Her voice became very high pitched. She waved her arms in front of her and began shaking her head frantically. "Oh no no no no no. I may have lost my freedom to you, but I will NOT lose what little dignity I have left just because that son of a bitch has been spreading rumors about!"

"Unfortunately for you, you have no say in the manner. I will not allow you to force me to lose what little respect I have left in the underworld because of your foolish sense of pride. You will become my...pet...and that is final!" Amira stomped up her foot against the floor.

"No, no, no, NO!" She shrieked. "I will NOT." Amira squeaked as she was suddenly thrown off her feet. She landed with a loud thump on the floor.

"Yes, you will." Dracula ordered softly in a dangerous tone. "Or I will inflict a lot more pain upon you." He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. "I'm sorry you will have to go through this, but in a few weeks time we shall be married and I will be able to end this silly idea of you being my pet." If that was supposed to make her feel better, Dracula failed miserably. Amira ground her teeth and shook with fury from being reminded that she was still going to marry Dracula.

"I hate you." She whispered quietly.

"I know." Dracula smiled sweetly at her.

"What's this about me drinking your blood? I don't remember doing it."

"Well I had to keep you alive so I let you drink my blood." He turned his back on her before adding, "I don't know what the problem is, you seemed to enjoy it."

Amira snorted and shook her head angrily. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"No you won't!" Dracula shouted so loudly it made Amira jump. "This carpet is priceless and I will notallow it tohave a stain on it merely because you can't handle the fact that you drank my blood and you enjoyed it."

"Now, back to business!" He returned back behind his desk. "I have already employed a young vampire who will be teaching you the proper manners of a...pet." He fumbled over the word 'pet'. "Your training shall begin later this evening.

"Training for what?"

"I shall be holding a ball next week and I want you to be ready to act like a humble pet by then."

"Whatever. This is just another way to make my life even more miserable than it already is." Amira turned and began to walk to the door when Dracula called her back.

"Wait! I have something for you." Amira turned around and slowly walked back to his desk. She was hesitant to receive any gifts from Dracula, seeing how the last on he gave her had a tracking device in it.

"What is it?" Amira asked cautiously.

"A very special gift." He smiled, which did absolutely nothing to calm Amira's nerves.

"Come closer..." He crooked his pointer finger at her. Amira was soon directly across from him. The only thing separating them was the desk. Before Amira even had time to react, Dracula leapt over his desk and attached something to her neck. Amira jumped back the moment the something latched to her neck. At first she thought it was another necklace, but soon to her utter horror and disgust she realized that it was not a necklace, but a collar. She slowly reached behind her neck for the clasp, but as soon as she touched it, it melded together, making it impossible to take off. She tugged at it furiously, but to no avail.

"There. Now you look much more like a pet." Dracula smiled gleefully. His smile was soon wiped off his face when Amira slapped him as hard as she could. Dracula was startled for a moment, but as she swung her hand again Dracula caught her wrist. He yanked her forward until they were mere inches apart. Dracula towered over her as he whispered in quiet fury," You will _not _hit your master!" He let go and walked behind his desk once more. "You may go." Amira was too dumbfounded by the look on his face to even think about disobeying. She walked quietly out of the room.

LALALALALALALALALALA

A/N: HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL I'M GONNA MAKE THE CHAPTER LONGER.

LALALALALALALALALALA

When Amira finally returned to her room she examined her collar. It was actually quite beautiful, _though the fact that it's attached to my neck ruins its beauty, _she thought furiously. It had tiny diamonds studded in intricate patterns all around the collar. The collar itself seemed to be made of some sort of silvery flexible mesh material. No matter which way she stretched her neck it always fit perfectly comfortably. She turned away from the mirror and threw herself on her bed.

"I hate Dracula. I hate life. I hate Zane. I hate being a pet." She kept up this odd chant of things she hated until the servant girl Aida came in with food.

"Good evening miss!" She called cheerfully, as if she didn't have a care in the world. Amira was disgusted by her cheerfulness._ And now I hate this servant girl. _"I thought you might be hungry after all that yelling, so I brought you some food." She held up a silver tray with a large bowl of vegetable soap and a loaf of bread as if she thought Amira hadn't already seen it. Aida set it down on Amira's bedside table and stood there staring at her. "You have to eat, miss! You'll surely become thin and gaunt if you don't." Amira picked up the steaming bowl of soup and began eating it. It burnt her throat but Amira didn't mind; she hadn't realized how hungry she was.

"Thank you." Amira said in between mouthfuls of soup. "This is delicious."

Aida beamed with happiness and pride. "You're so kind, miss! I have to go take care of master Dracula now. Bye bye!" She skipped out the door.

After Amira was finished she felt considerably more cheerful. She stood up and took a random book off the bookshelf and began to read. (A/N: I don't remember if there was a bookshelf in her room or not, but there is now!)Amira curled up in her armchair and read for about an hour before Aida came back.

"Master Dracula wants me to inform you that you that your tutor has arrived. Please come with me!" Amira followed her out the door and down to the library. "Masters Dracula and Vasilios are waiting for you inside." Without another word Aida scurried off.

Amira opened the door. Dracula and this Vasilios were conversing quietly in the center of the room. Both of them turned when they heard the door open. Vasilios bowed politely while Dracula just stood there. Amira cocked her head to one side as Vasilios straightened. He had long, beautiful shining hair that tumbled down to the small of his back. Though he looked young, his hair was snow white. As he strode forward Amira noticed that he was quite handsome, he looked like he was about twenty years old. His skin was pale as a ghost, but it seemed to suithim.He looked to be a few inches taller than six feet. His eyes were bright gold, giving him a wolfish appearance. Amira decided instantly that he was incredibly gorgeous, and that she would enjoy being taught by him.

"Pleasure to meet you, Lady Amira." His voice was deep and smooth. "My name is Vasilios." Amira smiled as she felt herself practically melt on the inside. _Oh yes, this will be very enjoyable. _

He took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips. The kiss was soft and very polite, but it also had analmost a sensual feel to it.

"Pleasure to meet you to, Vasilios." _My god he's beautiful. _

The moment was broken when Dracula coughed loudly and deliberately. Amira hadn't even noticed thathe had moved right next to her. "I shall be in my study if youneed me." Dracula sounded jealous.Amiraforced herself to keep a straightface as he strode very stiffly out of the room.It was obvious that he hadn't thought the two wouldhit it off immediately.

"Shall we sit down? I don't really want to start training today; I was thinking we could just chat." He smiled winningly at her. Amira noticed almost immediately that he hadtwosharp fangs. _Vampire._

"Alright." Amira followedVasiliosto the plush armchairs andsat down.They began talking right away, the topics changing at random. They didn't wander into the territory of each other's backgrounds, which was perfectly fine for Amira. She didn't really feel like explaining how she had been kidnapped by Dracula. They talked late into the night, Amira didn't even know what time it was, nor did she care. Quite suddenly, Vasilios stopped talking and looked out the window.

"It will be dawn soon. Regrettably I must retire." He stood up and held an elegant hand for her to take. "Shall Iaccompany you back to your room?" They walked back together side by side in comfortable silence. All too soon they were standing at her doorway. "Until this evening." He bowed once again and disappeared in a flash of white light.

Amira walked into her room and sank onto her bed. "I love life." She stated simply.

LADEEDADEEDADEEDA

A/N: Interesting plot twist, eh? It came into my mind while I was in the car on my way to Disney World. I had been thinking of the fanfics I had read recently and I remembered this fanfic where some guy kept calling this girl 'my pet' to get her pissed off and then this idea popped into my head. Unfortunately I can't even remember what the fanfic was about so I'm unable to give credit to my inspiration! I feel pretty bad about it. -sigh- Oh well.

I was thinking about making Vasilios, which by the way means 'of royal blood' in errr...Greek I think,in the next chapter. But I decided that you guys deserved an extra long chapter for the extra long wait. Doesn't he sound absolutely lovely?

NOW! I expect MANY MANY LOVELY AND LONG REVIEWS FROM EVERYONE. REVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEW!


	17. Chapter 17

I dedicate this story to the great REMEMBER. She writes the absolute BEST Dracula fics EVER. You all need to flock to her and you know...read her stuff. PLUS she always gives me excellent reviews even though my reviews for her stories usually suck because I'm a lazy bastard... YEAH. REMEMBER.

Amira rolled over on her bed with a small smile on her face, feeling completely content with the world. At least that was the case until someone began poking her on the shoulder. She scooted away from the offending pokes and attempted to go back to sleep. She managed to obtain this goal for a total of three seconds before the incessant poking began again with a vengeance. She finally cracked open one of her eyes and discovered that the pokes were coming from Aida, who apparently had not realized Amira was awake yet and continued to jab her shoulder.

"What do you want?" Her voice was slightly muffled due to the fact that her face was pressed up against a pillow.

"Oh! You're awake." Aida grinned cheerfully. "Master Dracula wants you to attend breakfast this morning. It shall take place in the dining hall in fifteen minutes."

"Fine, fine. I'll be there."

Aida bowed her head and ran off.

Amira rolled over the edge of her bed and promptly fell off, landing with a dull thud against the hardwood floor. Her good mood was evaporating in record time. She stood up and walked over to her wardrobe and pulled out a plain white tank top and a long pale red skirt. She dressed quickly and quietly before heading over to her mirror to fix her hair. The first thing her eyes latched onto was the collar wrapped around her neck. _Oh yeah...dammit. _She sighed and began to run a brush through her hair, determinedly keeping her gaze locked on her messy, curly hair and not her new addition of jewelry.

Amira started stalking to the dining hall when for some odd reason she remembered Zane telling her that stalking was unlady-like. She unconsciously straightened her back and continued walking to the dining hall.

The doors were opened by two nondescript servants that kept their faces turned downward. Dracula and Vasilios were conversing quietly when Amira entered. They both held what Amira decided -for the sake of her stomach- to classify as red wine in crystal goblets. They simultaneously turned to her and nodded their heads in greeting.

Amira walked over to the table and began to grab food off the table to put on a plate. Vasilios and Dracula began talking again; occasionally taking sips from their goblets of wine. Amira bit down on a piece of toast and began chewing slowly, savoring the buttery goodness.

"Straighten your back."

Amira twitched convulsively and twisted around to find Vasilios standing directly behind her chair.

"Eh?" She asked intelligently. Amira thought she heard some sniggering from the general direction of the two servants that had opened the door for her earlier.

"Straighten your back. You must improve your posture." Amira slowly straightened in her seat and began eating her toast again. "Good." Vasilios smiled. "Come to the library after you are finished eating. I'll be waiting there for you." He bowed to Dracula and nodded to Amira before leaving.

Dracula swaggered over to the chair opposite Amira and sat down. Amira stared determinedly at the pancake she was now mashing into a pulp with her spoon.

"Now now Amira. No need to take your frustration out on your food."

"Burn in hell Dracula."

"I already have. It is most unpleasant and I do not wish to experience it again." Dracula took a sip of his wine.

Amira decided that the pancakes had suffered enough and turned to the French toast. She took a fork and began stabbing it with her fork, pretending that it was Dracula's head. She was in the midst of stabbing frenchDraculatoast in the eye when her fork was plucked out of her hand.

"Give me back my fork, Dracula."

"No."

"Give it."

There was a pause, as if Dracula was contemplating his response. "No."

Before Amira even knew what she was doing, she suddenly sent her plate of food whirling across the room at Dracula. He nimbly stepped aside and watched it shatter against the wall.

"Temper, temper, temper." Dracula shook his head and snapped his fingers. The broken plate mended itself and appeared in front of Amira again, good as new.

"I'm going to the library." She stood up and began to walk to the door when she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her waist.

"Not so fast." Dracula whispered seductively in her ear. "I'm not done with you yet."

Amira visibly stiffened. "Let go of me."

"You shouldn't talk to your master like that."

"You shouldn't be handling your pet like this."

"I can do whatever I want with my pet."

"You disgust me."

"Your opinion of me is already known."

"God damn you."

"He already has."

"I hate your comebacks."

"I hate your insults. They're very uncreative. I know you could do better."

"UGH."

"Now you've just lowered yourself to simple grunts. How very disappointing."

Amira just now realized his hands were straying upwards to the "forbidden zone". She pushed away as hard as she could and just managed to break free of his grasp. She whirled around and stuck her pointer finger right under his nose. "I may be your pet but I am _not _your whore! Keep your hands to yourself!" She stormed off in a huff. Dracula, being his incredibly intellectual self, stood there looking perturbed.

When Amira arrived at the library she had managed to calm her fury down into a kind of simmering anger. She forced a smile onto her face. Vasilios was sitting in an armchair reading a very thick book when she walked in.

"Amira. You're angry." He announced without even looking up from his book. Amira was slightly taken aback.

"How did you know?" Amira asked, feeling curious.

"You display your emotions far too openly. It was easy for me to tell something was bothering you."

"But you weren't even looking at me."

"There are other ways to tell if someone is in a bad mood or not." He shut the book and stood up. "Enough chitchat." He said in a brisk tone. "We have to begin the training." Amira unconsciously fingered at her collar.

Vasilios walked directly up to Amira. He was only a few inches away from her when he stopped. He then began to circle her, observing her from all sides. He stopped directly behind her. Amira tried to stay as still as possible, but when a hand was place on her back her shoulders twitched involuntarily. "I'm not going to hurt you." Vasilios said in gentle tones. He pushed on the small of her back. Amira felt her back straighten. "Very good. This is the proper posture for a pet. You must walk with grace and dignity." Vasilios put the book he had been reading on top of her head. "Walk to the end of the library and back without letting the book fall off your head."

---:0 Some time has passed-

"Dammit!" Amira exclaimed when the book fell off her head for the umpteenth time.

"Pick it up and try again Amira. I know you can do it." Vasilios said in a bored tone before going back to reading his book. "And don't curse," he added as an afterthought. "Pets don't swear."

This was the scene Dracula walked in on an hour after Amira had begun her training with Vasilios. "I never realized how ungraceful you were, Amira." He called to Amira from across the room.

"This is harder than it looks!" Amira shouted back across the room.

Suddenly Dracula was standing directly beside her. He took the book out of her hands and placed it atop his head and walked swiftly and gracefully across the room and back. The book never even wobbled. He held the book back out to her, a small smirk playing across his lips. Amira grudgingly took the book away and shoved the book back on top of her head before attempting once again to complete the exercise.

Dracula sat down at a desk and began doing paperwork. Silence reigned in the library, only to be interrupted by Amira's occasional cursing whenever the book fell off her head.

Finally, after another half hour Amira accomplished the goal.

"Yay!" She exclaimed as she took the book off her head. "I did it!"

"Good job Amira!" Vasilios applauded. Amira was about to put the book down when Vasilios called to her, "What are you doing?"

"Uh." Amira stopped. "Putting the book down?"

"I didn't say you could do that. You must carry that book atop your head at all times until the ball."

"What?" Amira exclaimed.

"You heard me perfectly well. Now place the book back on top of you head and walk over here."

-Some time has passed-

Several hours later Amira found herself back in her room, rotating her neck around in circles to get the stiffness to go away. She had spent the rest of the day learning pet etiquette, which turned out to be incredibly boring. She felt like she was back in school being lectured by a crotchety old teacher; except this time she was in one of Dracula's castles being lectured by a handsome vampire.

She had attempted to look on the bright side of things, but she just couldn't seem to _find_ a bright side to her current situation so she just settled for loathing Zane and his need to make false tales. So she sat there on the side of her bed, thinking of different ways to maim/kill Zane. As if her thoughts had summoned him, Zane appeared with a soft _pop! _directly in front of her. Amira let out a small shriek of surprise and fell off her bed.

"God dammit Zane!" She shouted from the floor. "Must you always try to startle me like that?"

"Ah, but this is one of the few perks of my job." His eyes twinkled mischievously. His eyes traveled downward towards her neck. "I see my rumor has circulated well." Amira attempted to kick the old man from her position on the floor, but he nimbly dodged out of the way. He sighed, "I see you are still mad at me."

"Well of course I am!" Amira leapt up. "And I'm not the only one. Dracula wishes you dead as well."

"Oh well. I only did what the Powers That Be told me to."

"Right. And they have just told you to come chat it up with Dracula's new pet?"

"Err-No." Zane smiled. "I just decided to pop in for a visit. See how you were doing."

"Oh I'm doing quite well! Excluding the fact that I've just been made a slave by one of the worlds most vicious and powerful vampires, I'm absolutely dandy."

Zane either somehow managed to miss the intended sarcasm or he just ignored it. "That's good to know!" He replied cheerily. He then added as an afterthought, "And you're not a slave. Just a pet."

"Like that's so much better."

He sat down on the edge of her bed and when he spoke to her again; his cheerful voice had been replaced with much more serious tones. "This will all work out for the best Amira. You may not see it now, but this will all turn out well in the end."

"Yeah whatever."

"But it will!" He stared at her with big pleading eyes. "You will see in the end."

To Amira's utter horror, she found that tears were leaking out of her eyes as she sat down next to Zane and whispered, "I just want all of this to end." Zane pulled her into a warm embrace but did not say anything, for he knew that it would not be over for her for a long, long time.

-Some time has passed-

Amira awoke several hours later in the comfort of her soft bed. She recalled with no small amount of embarrassment crying on Zane's shoulder until she must have fallen asleep. _How very weak of me. _She thought to herself. She sighed and sat up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes as she did so. When she could see clearly she got out of bed. _I wonder what time it is. _She hadn't realized until now that there wasn't a clock in her room.

"Do humans always sleep so much?" A delicately soft voice asked from an armchair. She immediately recognized the voice as Vasilios'. "I don't seem to recall sleeping so much in my mortal past life."

"I guess so." Amira replied. She was still a bit sleepy and did not feel like making intelligent answers at the moment.

Vasilios stood and turned around to face her. "You must forgive me for being in your room while you slept-" He started, but was soon interrupted by Amira.

"Oh no, it's quite alright. I'm used to it. Just don't make it a habit please." Amira was indeed used to it; she had woken up more often than not with someone in her room. Vasilios merely arched a thin white eyebrow.

"I'll try not to."

There was a short silence before Amira asked, "So what brings you to my room?"

"I was just wondering how you were doing." Vasilios did not mention that he had heard crying from within her room.

"Oh. I'm doing perfectly fine, thank you for asking."

Dracula chose that moment to enter the room. He strode across the room in record time and twined an arm around Amira waist, effectively pulling her near. Amira stoutly resisted the urge to elbow him in the ribs. He bent his head down and whispered in her ear with a velvety smooth voice, "We need to get you fitted with a dress for the ball." He made it sound like it was some sort of secret.

"And you must escort me to the fitting room?"

"Of course. I wouldn't my little pet to get lost."

"You're adjusting to this pet thing rather easily. Must I remind you that this is only temporary?"

"That's the best part. I can throw off this charade after we wed, but until then we might as well play the part of master and pet."

"Fine. Just take me there."

Vasilios watched the whole exchange in silence with a barely concealed smile. But when they were about to leave he spoke up. "Amira." He called. She turned around and looked at him. "I will be expecting you in the library after you finish with the fitting." She nodded in reply and soon Dracula was once more pulling her out of the room.

The moment Amira and Dracula reached the fitting room she was pulled out of Dracula's embrace by several young women and ushered quickly into the fitting room. Amira spared one glance over her shoulder for Dracula before the doors were shut behind her. He was just standing there with his arms folded across his chest, an amused expression playing across his features.

-Some time has passed oO-

It took the women half an hour to find what the women decided was the perfect dress. In the end they settled for a very pretty red dress that reminded Amira -with a sickening twist of her stomach- of the dress Anna had worn in the movie when Dracula had had her under his enchantment. But apparently she didn't get much say in the matter, in fact, she didn't get any say at all. The women had been so busy measuring her and throwing different dresses at her that they hardly listened to what Amira said.

When they were finishedthey neatly folded the dress into a box, put it in her hands, and shoved her out the door without another word. Dracula was casually leaning against the wall opposite the door. When Amira stumbled out Dracula straightened and snapped his fingers. Almost at once a very small servant boy was standing directly in front of his master. Dracula ordered the boy to take Amira's dress to her room. The boy nodded once and was gone in a flash with the box in hand. Amira didn't even remember giving the dress to him.

"Good service."

"Indeed."

He then proceeded to pull her close to him with an arm Amira hadn't even realized was around her waist. They were at the library in no time.

"Have fun." He let go of her waist and disappeared with a small crack.

"Oh I'm sure I will." Amira replied sarcastically to the air.

"This. Is. So. Freaking.Boring." Amira accentuated each word by hitting her head on the table. They had been spending the last hour reviewing proper pet etiquette.

"You're right." Vasilios stated simply. "We must do something more interesting."

"Err...right."

"Do you know how to dance?"

Amira refrained from snorting with laughter. She was absolutely terrible. "I can waltz, but I'm not very good."

"Then we shall just have to improve on that." He stood up and he motioned for her to stand as well. He led her to the middle of the library where there was just enough clear space to hold a dancing lesson. Classical music started playing as if on cue. Vasilios captured one of her hands in his and placed the other on her waist. Soon they were dancing across the floor. It was as though Vasilios' gracefulness made up for the fact that Amira had virtually no skills in dancing.

"You're very good." Amira complimented.

"Thank you." He replied. He dipped her low and pulled her back up again. "You...just need a little bit of practice."

"You mean a lot of practice. I know I'm horrible."

"Don't say that. I'm sure you will improve."

"If only because I have such an excellent teacher."

"You're too kind."

"It's only the truth."

He pulled away from her then. "I think that's enough for today." He straightened his coat meticulously. "It is growing late, and I'm sure you need your sleep." Amira sighed. She had been having fun.

"I suppose."

"Shall I escort you back to your rooms?"

"No thank you. I think I can manage on my own."

He led her to the doorway and bowed.

"Good night Amira."

"Good night Vasilios."

He turned around and walked away.

Amira turned and walked in the opposite direction, her head filled with thoughts of Vasilios dancing with her. Before she knew it she was standing in front of her door. She was about to open it when, suddenly, a blood curdling scream filled the hall, followed shortly after by a vicious snarl. Amira started and looked left and right, expecting to see Dracula bursting out of his rooms any moment. Another scream resounded through the halls. Amira looked out the large window at the end of the corridor. It would be dawn in about a half hour. _Dracula and Vasilios must already be asleep. _Mind already made up, Amira burst through her doors and after a few minutes searching found her scimitar propped up against her wardrobe with a note attached to it. It read:

_Thought you might need it._

_Z._

Fueled by adrenaline, she ripped a slit in her skirt up to her thigh in order to make it easier to run.

Amira grabbed her scimitar and rushed out the door just as she heard some cry in a panic stricken voice, "Help!" Amira felt her blood pounding in her ears as she sprinted toward where the cries for help had originated.

-Chapter Over-

A/N: WHEW. I do believe that that was my longest chapter yet! Please give me long reviews. I really want to read something other than "Good chapter! Can't wait for the next!" So PLEASE, if you really want me to continue this story, just spend an extra minute telling me your favorite part of the story or something. I would really appreciate it, and it would give me the fuel I need to write the next chapter.

Oh, and yes I do realize that the whole 'Dracula having a book on his head' thing is very OOC but Sarah doesn't care so NEH. I'll try not to do so often though.

ALSO: My vampire go into a sort of comatose when they get into their coffins and crap, so I don't care what legend your going by about vampires being "light sleepers" or something. Mine won't hear a thing. :D


	18. Chapter 18

Amira barely felt her feet touch the floor as she sprinted through the corridors toward the sound of the last scream. At last she reached the large ornate doors to the front hall from which she could hear the now muffled screams. Her mind had gone completely blank, leaving it with only the objective of helping whoever was in trouble. She rammed into the doors with a shoulder. It creaked open loudly but Amira wasn't exactly going for subtlety at the moment. She charged into the front hall with her scimitar in hand, though still in its sheath.

A lean vampire with short spiked white blond hair had backed a girl into a corner and now had one of his hands covering her mouth. When the vampire turned his head to see who the intruder was, Amira got a good look at the girl's face. She immediately recognized her as the timid servant Aida.

Its prey forgotten, the vampire snarled and leapt at Amira, clawed hands outstretched. Amira quickly rolled out of his path and unsheathed her scimitar. The vampire crashed into doors directly behind her with a loud crack as half the door exploded into a thousand splinters. He stood up and brushed off the pieces of wood stuck in his skin, the wounds that had been created healed almost instantly.

"Aida. Leave now." Amira commanded in a harsh voice, her eyes never leaving the vampire. Aida left through a side door immediately, too terrorized to even look back.

"How very brave of you, challenging me all by yourself." The vampire hissed, his bright green eyes glinted dangerously as they rested upon her collar. "I did not know Dracula allowed his pets to play with sharp things." He eyed her scimitar with some amusement.

"Daybreak is in just a half hour." Amira called from a safe distance, ignoring the insult that she knew was supposed to make her angry. You'll never make it out alive.

"What makes you so sure that you're going to be able to fight me for that long? You will surely run out of stamina before I run out of time."

"Count Dracula will be coming any minute, now." Amira lied, praying that he would believe her.

"You know just as well as I that that is not true. I know that your master has gone to sleep." He grinned evilly as he advanced on her slowly. Amira held her ground, knowing that getting herself backed up against a wall would be a bad idea.

Amira's arms were trembling in either anticipation or fear; she wasn't sure which. She knew that Dracula wouldn't be here to save her this time, but she hoped with all her will that Aida hadn't passed out with fright and was now getting help.

The vampire watched her with calculating eyes, trying to decide what would be the best way to kill the pet for his master. He flexed his claws menacingly in anticipation of the battle that was sure to come in a few mere seconds. Without warning he lunged at her, easily crossing the twenty-foot distance between them in less than a second. Amira barely managed to duck, but the vampire was still able to scratch one long claw across her back. Amira hissed in pain but forced herself to not think about it. She whirled around and swung her scimitar, wildly hoping she would catch him off guard and hit him. He easily dodged out of the way of the swings, laughing at her attempt to injure him.

"Oh come now." He taunted, "I knew humans were weak, but I never expected them to be _this _pathetic."

She stopped trying to hit him; he was far too fast and she didn't want to waste her stamina. The vampire took this pause in fire as surrender, he rushed at her but she was ready. The instant before he was on her, she pointed her weapon straight in front of her. The vampire didn't have enough time to stop before the blade slid cleanly through his gut. He howled in anger and pain and pushed her back. Amira was shoved off her feet and flew ten feet backwards and landed with a thud on her back. She groaned and stood up. A dark smear of blood was left from where she had hit the ground. The vampire had already removed the sword from his stomach and had thrown it across the room.

Blood was pouring freely from his wound but he didn't seem to care. Before Amira had any time to react, the vampire had latched his hand around her neck and collar and had pushed her up against the wall behind her. Amira struggled vainly to breathe as black spots began to appear in front of her eyes as she slowly lost consciousness but his grip was far too strong. She knew that if she didn't do something soon he would crush her windpipe. She kicked out blindly with all her might and was rewarded with a sharp yelp as he released her and fell to the ground, clutching his groins and howling in pain. Amira kicked him again in the stomach and once more in the face before he fell still.

Only when she was absolutely certain he was unconscious did she allow herself to slump against the wall as she waited for help to arrive.

xxxx

Five minutes later Aida came running into the front hall with a dozen of servants at her back. They streamed in front of her when they saw Amira sitting against the wall and the vampire lying next to him. A team of five servants immediately picked him up and carried him into the dungeons while the rest tended to Amira's wounds before carrying her to her chambers. Aida picked up Amira's bloody scimitar and followed the servants back to Amira's room.

xxxx

Amira awoke at dusk with a pounding headache. She groaned and rolled over onto her back and flinched in pain as the scratch on her back was pressed against the sheets.

"Oh thank goodness you are awake." A servant girl cried out.

Amira began to rub her temples as her headache worsened due to the loud noises.

"She's awake?" Aida asked anxiously and ran over to Amira's bed. Aida clasped Amira's hands in hers. "You saved my life If you hadn't been there to save me I surely would have died. I owe you my life."

"No no it was nothing." Amira protested, feeling very awkward about someone owing their life to her.

"Oh and she's so modest." The servant who had woken her up called out.

"And brave too." Another added.

Amira began feeling intensely uncomfortable with all the sudden praise so she changed the subject. "Why was the vampire after you Aida?" She inquired.

"Oh he wasn't after me." Aida explained in hushed tones as if afraid that the vampire could hear her. "He was looking for you. I just happened to be cleaning the hall when he just appeared out of nowhere and demanded to see you. I of course said that he most certainly may not and he got very angry. He hit me across the face," she pointed to a bruise that had formed on her cheek from where he had hit her, "and I began calling for help. Lucky for me you were still awake and you rushed to my rescue." She then proceeded to thank Amira again and again.

"Now why would some vampire want to see me?" Amira asked herself thoughtfully.

"Because you are intimately connected to Dracula."

Amira jerked her head to the speaker and realized it was Zane. He had appeared on her bed without her knowing. The three servant girls gasped and gave him disapproving looks but did nothing more.

"Intimately connected? Just because he likes feeling me up doesn't mean I'm intimately connected to him." Amira said, taking offence.

"Not connected in that manner. You two are soon to be married, and Dracula's enemies are doing all that they can to stop this." Zane explained.

"Why?" Amira asked, surprised that anyone other than herself wished to stop this wedding from happening.

"Because they wish to weaken him." He stood up and began pacing back and forth as he further explained. "Life was so much easier for the powerful vampires after Dracula was killed. They had divided up his power over the vampire kingdom amongst themselves soon after he died. Once he returned he took all that power back shortly and now they're looking for revenge."

"But I thought all the vampires died after Dracula was killed?" She searched her memory of the Van Helsing movie for some sort of explanation.

Zane shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Only the ones had been bitten directly by him or created by them were killed too. Everyone else survived."

"Ah." Amira said softly.

"You fought well against Ryker." Zane complimented.

"Who?"

"The vampire that you kicked in his balls." Zane replied crudely.

"Oh. That was just luck. In fact, I've won _all _of my fights with sheer luck." She stared down at her hands.

"Hardly!" Zane half shouted, causing everyone in the room to jump. "It's your fast reflexes and your ability to think straight even during battle." He cocked his head to one side in thought. "And your four years of fencing lessons might have helped too." He added, smiling slightly.

"Thank you. You are a very kind friend." Zane beamed at her in delight. "I'm still not forgiving you for making me Dracula's pet." She added stubbornly.

Zane brushed it off easily. "Oh well. You can't win everything." He twitched. "Ah. Time for me to go. Dracula will be awake soon." He waved goodbye and disappeared.

"Your friend is very...strange." Aida commented idly.

Amira nodded in agreement. "Yes, he is."

xxxx

Dracula awoke with an immediate feeling of unease in the pit of his stomach. He felt the urge to visit Amira to see if she was awake. He gained a very cool composure and left his rooms to go to Amira's. He was about to put his hand on the doorknob when he drew back in alarm. He smelt blood. Her blood. He threw open the doors and looked left and right for the perpetrator of the hideous crime of spilling his lovely Amira's blood.

"Amira!" He shouted when he saw her in her bed.

Amira jerked from her light slumber and stared at Dracula, feeling slightly annoyed. Aida was cowering behind an armchair, feeling most unhappy that her servant friends had just left a few minutes before and she had not gone with them.

"What?" She asked.

"I smell your blood. Are you hurt?" He asked almost frantically. Aida peeped over the armchair to stare at her master.

"A vampire somehow broke into your home this morning just before dawn. I fought him and he hurt me."

Dracula was at her side in the blink of an eye. "Where did he hurt you?"

"On the back." Dracula made a move to turn her over and look for himself but she raised her arms in protest. "It's just a scratch though. Nothing to worry about."

Dracula looked doubtful but did nothing else. Instead he turned to the armchair in which Aida was hiding. "Aida." He called.

Aida peered over the top of the armchair again. "Yes, Master?"

"Where is the bastard vampire that hurt my pet?"

"In the dungeons, master."

Dracula nodded and left the room without another word.

When he reached the dungeons he knew which cell the vampire was in almost immediately. He could smell the vampire's blood, sharp and salty in his nose. And his cell happened to be guarded by several servants who all bowed low when Dracula entered. He ignored their bows and pushed them out of the way.

"Give me the key." He commanded. A servant handed it to him. He unlocked the door and opened it and slammed it shut. Ryker jerked awake and barely had time to look up before he felt icy cold fingers wrap around his pale neck. He was thrown against the slimy stone wall. Dracula was loomed over the vampire menacingly.

"Who are you working for?" Dracula demanded fiercely. Ryker cringed from the harsh tone in

Dracula's but did not answer. "ANSWER ME." Dracula roared.

"I-I can't tell you." Ryeker, stuttering in fear. Dracula raised his fist to strike Ryker. "No no. I really can't! I've sworn a blood oath of secrecy." He pulled back his sleeve to reveal a long cut on his forearm that was just beginning to heal. "You see? It would have healed by now if it were anything other than a blood oath"

Dracula stared at the cut on his forearm for a long moment. "If you cannot reveal any information to me then you are useless." Dracula informed him in an emotionless tone. Ryker saw the cold, blank look in the powerful vampire's eyes and knew that he was going to die. Dracula struck lightening fast, ripping his throat out with his bare hands before he could plead forgiveness. Blood oozed from his open mouth as he slumped over. Ryker's brilliant green eyes clouded over as the last of his life ebbed away.

Dracula wiped his bloodied hand on Ryker's coat before turning his back on the corpse and walking away.

"Dispose of the body." Dracula ordered to his servants as he licked the remaining blood off his hand. He was in a sufficiently happier mood by the time he left the dungeons.

xxxx

"Dracula's going to kill Ryker isn't he?" Amira asked mildly several minutes after Dracula had left the room.

Aida looked up from cleaning her nails. "Probably." She replied.

Vasilios burst through the doors and rushed over to Amira's bed.

"Amira! Are you alright?" Concern was etched into every line in his face.

"Err...I'm fine Vasilios, thank you for asking." Amira was taken aback by this sudden display of affection.

"I came here the moment I heard about it. I'm terribly sorry I didn't escort you back to your chambers. If I had been there I could have killed the vampire myself and you wouldn't have to go through all this pain."

"It's alright Vasilios. Really, it's just a scratch." Vasilios nodded and shook his white hair out of his face before standing up a little stiffly.

"That is good to know." He had suddenly reverted back to his more formal nature.

"Err..." Amira was a little bemused.

"Are you quite sure you are alright?"

"I'm perfectly ok."

"Good. Meet me at the library at nine o'clock then so we can continue our lessons. And make sure continue to balance that book on your head. I'm not letting you slack merely because you have a small scratch on your back." He nodded to Amira and then Aida before exiting the room.

Aida tilted her head to one side. "That was...weird."

"Yes, yes it was."

Amira bathed and ate before it was nine. Her back was stiff and sore but she felt restless, so she spent the remaining time practicing the book exercise. She noticed idly that she was improving already.  
xxxx

A/N: Nehe. That was fun to write. All of these chapters are fun to write. I love writing. Hah. But hmmf. I think I could have done better with this chapter, but I've been using all my creative energy on the chapter after this. It's turned out really well so far and I should have it up by Saturday:D

A/N: Mmf. I'd just like to add that yes I do ACTUALLY REALIZE that that was terribly OOC for Vasilios to come bursting through doors and have concern etched in his face. He was just high...off life of course oO


	19. Chapter 19

The days until the ball passed alarmingly quickly for Amira. Her life had become almost normal, excluding the fact that she was Dracula's pet and most of her acquaintances were supernatural beings. But it felt normal to _her _and that was what counted. It slipped into a sort of semi permanent routine, she knew that her lessons with Vasilios would probably discontinue after the ball and she would have nothing to do again except fret over the wedding that was a mere week after the ball. Not that she considered her lessons with Vasilios fascinating or even fun, but she had to admit that it was a hell of a lot better than spending most of her time being seduced by Dracula, who had actually somehow retained very good manners and had barely touched her since she had been hurt in the battle against Ryker. Her wound had already healed, however it left a long but faint scar stretching from her right shoulder blade to the center of her back. Amira had never thought of herself as vain, but when she saw the scar that marred her once perfectly smooth and unmarked back; she had let out a small gasp and had to cover up it up right away. She hadn't looked at her back since.

Her posture, manners, and dancing skills had all improved to the point that Vasilios decreed that they were acceptable. Well, he had said that at least she wouldn't fall on her face the moment she began a waltz, but Amira took the compliment for what it was.

Signs that some sort of festive occasion was soon to come about began springing up everywhere Amira looked. Everything had been dusted and swept and generally cleaned up by silent servants. It put Amira in a good mood to see everything sparkling clean.

But now it was just a few mere hours before the ball and Amira was most nervous. She had woken up at dusk with a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach and she realized that she wasn't exactly thrilled about this ball. Vasilios had spent most of the time until the ball shooting questions at her about things like how she should act when someone asked her to dance until she had eventually snarled at him to get out of the room so she could prepare for the ball. She had immediately regretted doing it but at least it had gotten him to stop pestering her with questions. She was currently getting her hair done and her nails manicured by half a dozen servant girls. She felt like some doll a bunch of children had decided to dress up.

"Oh please stop fidgeting!" Cried one of the girls who were painting her nails a deep shade of red.

"Sorry." Amira apologized absentmindedly. She had tried in vain to keep still, but in anticipation for the ball she would occasionally twitch her hand or begin to jiggle her foot until one of the servant girls begged her to stop.

She looked up for the thousandth time at the clock she had recently had put in her room. It was nine o'clock. _Two more hours till the ball. _Dracula had told her yesterday that the ball would be held from eleven until four in the morning.

She wasn't exactly sure why she was nervous. What did she care if she embarrassed herself and Dracula in front of some snobbish vampires? She shouldn't care, but for some reason she couldn't bare the thought of making Dracula angry at her once more. And it wasn't just because he would punish her. No, it was something deeper than that. And then she realized with no small shock that some part of her _wanted _to please Dracula. Though she couldn't imagine why. Her feelings of intense dislike towards him had not lessened in a whit since her recapture so she just couldn't figure out what made her want to make Dracula happy. She frowned slightly and stared at her reflection as she contemplated over these newfound discoveries.

"All finished!" Cried the girl who had been doing her hair. Amira's eyes actually focused on the mirror she had been staring into and she let out a small gasp of shock. Her hair looked quite beautiful. It had been pulled up into a high bun but the girl had artfully let a few locks escape so that they framed her pale face. She examined it from all angles by twisting her head from side to side and looking at it with a hand held mirror.

"Thank you." Amira said softly. "I feel lovely now." All six of the girls smiled in glee and curtsied deeply.

"Now we must help you put on your dress." One of them announced. It took nearly twenty minutes just to get it on, but in the end they managed. Once again Amira examined herself in front of her full bodied mirror and found that she felt like a princess. The dress fit very well, and showed off every delicate curve of her soft body. Though it still reminded Amira of Anna's dress, it did not have the frills that had made her dress large and bulky. This dress reached down to her ankles, though it did not restrict her movements at all for it was a bit loose from the thighs down. It was also sleeveless and it had a modest dip in it, just barely showing the beginning of her cleavage. She slipped on the silk white gloves that reached up to her elbows and put on her shoes and she was done. Even the collar looked like it was supposed to be there, looking more like a very short choker necklace rather than the mark of Amira belonging to Dracula. Amira had to admit, she looked very exotic and even gorgeous.

But then she arched an eyebrow as she examined her gloves. She turned to the girl who had painted her fingernails and asked, "Now what was the point of painting my nails if I was just going to put these gloves on?"

All six of the girls laughed aloud and the girl who the question had been directed too answered, "Well I couldn't have just had your toe nails painted and not your fingernails! You would have looked very silly if you decided to take your gloves off."

Amira's eyebrow climbed higher. "Because everyone will be staring at my nails to be sure that they match?"

The girl nodded, delighted because she thought Amira finally understood. "Exactly! You will be the center of attention tonight. Everyone will be making sure that absolutely nothing is anything less than perfect with you. Not having your fingernails painted could be a fatal mistake."

Amira let out a laugh at the absurdity of it all but even as it died away the sickening feeling in her stomach returned tenfold. It took everything in her power to not run to the bathroom and sick up. The girls were all blissfully unaware in this sudden change in mood with Amira, and they all wished her good luck and left her be.

She spent the rest of the time until the ball pacing back and forth across her room, occasionally stopping to check in the mirror to make sure she still looked alright. After what seemed like a life time, a young servant man knocked on her door and requested for her to follow him to the entrance where she would be escorted into the ballroom by Dracula. Amira swallowed the knot in her throat but couldn't get herself to say anything so she just nodded instead and let him lead the way.

Amira was paying no attention to where exactly they were going, she was so lost in thought about dances and unknown feelings for a certain vampire that when they got their Amira almost ran straight into the servant's back, but was pulled away just in time by Dracula.

"Oh!" Amira exclaimed. "I didn't realize where I was going." She looked into Dracula's lovely blue eyes and whispered, "Thank you." He just smiled slightly and nodded. Amira took this time to look at Dracula's attire. He was wearing an outfit somewhat similar to the clothing in Van Helsing, meaning that it was entirely black. The deep blue embroidery however, was much more intricate, though it wasn't overdone at all for it was very difficult to differentiate between the clothing it was stitched on too. One had to be very close, (as close as Amira was now) to really appreciate the design. His raven black hair was pulled back into a gold clip, but a few rebellious strands fell to either side of his face. It seemed like they were meant to be there though.

"Are you ready?" He asked gently.

Amira's brows snapped together and she stepped back. "Of course I'm ready! I've had this stupid pet stuff drilled into my mind for the past week so I _better _be ready!" She straightened her back and turned to face the immense doors that would lead her into the ballroom. She turned back to Dracula. "Let's go."

He smirked and began walking towards the door. Amira followed tout suite, but made sure that she was three paces behind him. When they got to the door it required three servants on either side to push them open. This was for dramatic effect, showing off his servants instead of just forcing the doors open with his powers. The doors opened slowly, and though they did so without a sound, every face in the room was turned toward them when they were finally opened all the way. Amira half expected everyone in the room to be wearing masks like in the Van Helsing movie, but she knew that was silly and banished the thought quickly.

Every vampire in the room -which was everyone- bowed and curtsied simultaneously and silently, it unnerved Amira to no end. She just kept her face straight and relaxed and followed Dracula in -what she hoped was- and elegant fashion. Silent whispers followed them as the guests' eyes latched onto her collar. Amira unconsciously drew nearer to Dracula, for some of their stares were venomous and even jealous. When they finally reached the middle of the room Dracula nodded to the phantom musicians and beautiful classical music began. As if on cue, the entire room was filled with the low buzz of hundreds of whispers and people began moving about the room once more.

Almost immediately, several vampires walked straight up to them, well much more to Dracula. All of them were pointedly ignoring Amira. "Dracula, darling!" A woman who wore far too much makeup practically screeched. She stood very close to him, and placed her hand on his arm. "It's been far too long since I've last had the pleasure to see you." She eyed him up in down and smiled. Her smile turned into a sneer as she laid her eyes on Amira, who, though desperately wanted to stare straight back at her, looked down at the floor until she was spoken to. "I see you have acquired a pet since we have last met. She looks far too plain for you though." Amira carefully kept her face neutral, though every muscle in her body urged her to jump forward and kill this horrid woman. The vampiress sensed the fury emanating off Amira and growing annoyance from Dracula and decided that it was time to take her leave. She nodded and smiled and told him that they simply must dance sometime soon before walking off.

They were accosted by another vampire as soon as the last one left. Amira's heart leapt as she heard Vasilios speaking to her. "You did not let your emotions take control of you. I'm impressed, you are normally such an...expressive person."

Amira smiled warmly and replied, "It's all because of your excellent training." Then her face turned expressionless once more as Vasilios turned to talk to Dracula. She quickly lost interest in the conversation and began to let her mind wander as she watched the dancers glide gracefully across the dance floor. _I wonder if you just obtain this ability to make everything look incredibly easy when you become a vampire. _She tilted her head to one side as they men clasped their female dance partners at the waist and lift them effortlessly into the air. _Holy shit. _She was abruptly broken out of her reverie when she heard someone call her name.

"Amira. Amira!" Amira started and looked at Dracula. Vasilios had left and had been replaced with yet another snobbish female.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, and, after a moments hesitation, "master. I was watching the dance." He laced an arm around her waist and pulled her towards the dance floor.

"Then let's join in the fun."

Amira jerked and prayed that she wouldn't have to be lifted into the air. The song that had been playing ended just as they reached the dance floor. Dracula clasped her hand and placed the other on her waist. The music commenced and they began to waltz.

Amira felt light as a feather and as graceful as a swan as they danced across the floor, immediately commanding the attention of everyone in the room. Talk had died away as everyone's eyes glued to the master and his pet. Amira had her deep green eyes fixed on Dracula's own brilliantly blue ones. She felt herself become lost in them, ever changing to suit his own personality; they were definitely his most attractive feature. Right now, they were the brightest shade of blue Amira had ever seen them.

Dracula pulled Amira even closer to him before dipping her low. She arched her back and her lovely pale neck was exposed to him, so tempting and delicate that he could barely restrain himself from pulling her up and biting her right now. But she would be his soon enough...

Amira had no idea of the inner battle that was going on in her handsome dance partner. She was so caught up in the moment and the music that she had no idea what was happening at all. His hand traced a line up to the back of her neck as he pulled her back up again. He could not restrain the low growl that escaped his lips and rumbled through his chest from the sensation of having her pressed up against him. Amira felt the growl more than heard it.

"Did I mention how lovely you look tonight?" Dracula whispered in her ear, his Romanian accent thick with lust. Amira shivered at the feel of Dracula's lips brushing across her earlobe.

She whispered back into his chest, knowing that he would hear it, "I'm afraid you didn't. Did I mention how very handsome you look tonight?"

"You did not. I'm glad you find me so attractive. I had no idea you found me appealing at all." Amira knew that he was just teasing her and bit back a retort.

They finished the dance in a comfortable silence. When it was over Dracula let go and bowed to her as she curtsied back. "Come." He commanded. He led her up to a gilded throne that Amira had not noticed before and sat down. Amira stood there looking bemused until he looked pointedly at the pile of cushions beside his throne. Amira bared her teeth and crossed her arms under her breasts in defiance. "Would you rather sit in my lap?" He asked, arching a brow as he did so. Amira jerked and rushed to the cushions posthaste, sitting down with her legs folded under her and her back resting against the throne. All attraction she had felt towards Dracula during the dance had disappeared in an instant, leaving her simmering in a stew of anger at showing such emotion to him in front of so many people.

Dracula, on the other hand, was quite pleased with himself. His beloved Amira had displayed _some _sort of feelings for him and he had overcome that urge to change Amira right at that moment. He was extremely proud of himself and sat in his throne with the air of a king and a smirk painted across his features.

Many of his guests came up to congratulate him on being such a wonderful dancer and of course there was the multitude of women who wanted to dance with him themselves. He declined them all with a graciousness that Amira hadn't known he was capable of.

Amira begun to survey the vampires sweeping across the room in that elegant fashion that she seemed to be incapable of achieving when an utterly shocking and somewhat frightening thought crossed her mind. _One of these vampires could be the one that had sent Ryker to kill me. _She groped around and gripped one of the throne's legs and attempted to calm herself. But now she regarded almost every vampire in the room with suspicion and unease.

"What is troubling you, my pet?" Asked Dracula. He had watched her grip on one of his throne's legs tighten with what Dracula knew was fear.

Amira looked surprised that he had noticed, and answered in a polite and respectful tone fit for the role of a pet, "Nothing at all, master. I am just tired and I wish to sleep. But this ball will still be going on for quite some time, correct?"

"It is nearing two in the morning now. I'm afraid you still have quite some time before you will be able to rest." Dracula knew that was not the cause of her troubles, but was in the mood to please her and did not question her further. Amira spent the better part of an hour watching everyone in the room with a slightly fearful eye before finally getting over it. She very highly doubted that her would-be assassin's master would just attempt to kill her in front of Dracula and the rest of the room. She then began to watch the acrobats that had been situated about the room in various places for everyone's enjoyment. Most of them were contortionists, twisting themselves into odd shapes and forms on a pedestal.

Amira had been watching one of the acrobats when Vasilios came walking up the stairs rather quickly. He whispered something into Dracula's ear and he stood up immediately. "Amira. It appears that your wish will be answered sooner than we thought. Come with me." He waited until Amira stood before walking away into the crowd. Amira followed close behind. They were the center of attention again, but Dracula did not seem to take notice. He left the ballroom without saying a word. Amira was about to follow him when Vasilios pulled her to the side.

"Amira. I am going to escort you back to your rooms. You must promise me that you will stay there no matter what." Amira could tell that he was absolutely serious and, though her brain was now overflowing with multitudes of questions, nodded in silent consent. He took her arm and led her to her chambers. "Do not open this door for anyone." He cautioned her before pushing her inside and shutting it behind her. The sound of receding footsteps told Amira that he had walked away.

Amira spent the rest of the night pacing back and forth across her room. She was far too nervous to sleep but she dared not go outside her rooms. She was not in the mood to be thrown into yet another life threatening situation out of sheer disobedience. At some point in time she had strapped on her scimitar incase there was fighting to be done in her room. The wait was agonizingly long; she knew that someone would have come to assure her that everything was alright so apparently not all was well and good at the moment. Her eyes constantly wandered to the clock. It now read half past five. Amira was grateful that all of the vampires had -hopefully- left by now, but she was still terribly worried.

She was in such a state of nervousness that when someone pounded on her door she had shrieked in alarm. Quite suddenly, the doors burst forth to admit Dracula covered in blood, who barely managed to get through the doors before he collapsed on the floor.

xxxx

**A/N: OH GOD. That is quite possibly the BEST cliffy I have ever done. I know that all of you are now going to write very long reviews about how incredibly amazing this chapter was and how excited you are for the next one. Mmf. Ignore the pompousness.**

**A/N: One last thing, I started highschool last week and I've already got a lot of work to do! BLEH. I'm REALLY going to do my absolute best to update weekly...maybe biweekly, but it could be pretty tough. -sad-**

**LAST A/N: Hehehe...so I actually have something else to say. YO MY GOODNESS, thanks a milliom, no, a TRILLION for all the reviews! I'm so happy and this is just the motivation I need to write the next chapter. Thank you all. **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: WOW. I was really struggling with the healing scene, I wasn't sure at all what I wanted to do, so I went to sleep on Friday feeling really unhappy about what I had written so far and I so totally had a dream about this scene and YAY. I woke up and just typed it out right away. Not so passionate as I'm sure most people wanted it to be, but it seemed right to me. :D**

Amira cried out and rushed to Dracula's side. Her mind had gone into overdrive, reasons for why Dracula had suddenly passed out at the entrance of her room were passing through her mind as quickly as they could.

"Dracula?" She shook him. He didn't stir. _He's dead. _Amira didn't know what to do, she couldn't even check for a pulse. She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him harder. "Dracula!" Still he didn't make any sign to show he was alive. _Oh god. He's actually dead. _She bit her lip to keep herself from screaming. _No! He can't be! He can't be dead... _A single tear leaked out of her eye and dribbled down to the tip of her nose before falling off onto Dracula's lips.

He groaned and opened his now dull blue eyes. He licked his lips and tasted her salty tear. "Werewolf scratch...on my side..." He moaned softly.

Amira immediately ripped open his jacket and tore off his shirt. She saw it instantly, a gaping wound on his right side. Blood was steadily dripping out of it, it had soaked most of his shirt and some of his jacket. "Oh my god." She whispered, awed that he could have even managed to get to her room.

"Cure...inside jacket pocket..." He was slowly becoming skeletal, his skin was getting sallow and unhealthy. Amira's hands fumbled with the button keeping the cure in place and almost dropped it when she got it out. It was a shot about the size of her hand, filled with a thick blue liquid. Amira stuck the needle into his stomach and jumped backwards, for Dracula had lurched forward the moment the needle had broken the skin. She crawled backwards as he continued to have convulsions, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and his fangs lengthened to their fullest extent. And just as suddenly as they had begun, they stopped. He fell back onto the floor and his head rolled to one side.

Amira had drawn her knees up to her chest, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks. When Dracula did not move for several minutes Amira finally crawled over to him and pulled the now empty shot out of his stomach. The wound had healed completely from what she could see. She ran her hand over the flawless skin where the wound had been just to make sure the wound had really gone. Amira did not know what to do, she could hardly pick him up for he was far too heavy. She finally stood up and grabbed a few pillows off of her bed and propped up his head. She picked up a blanket and lay it across his chest, not wishing to have to look at him half naked. It just seemed _wrong _after seeing him nearly die only a few minutes before.

Amira turned an armchair to face Dracula's form and sat there for a few minutes, staring at him blankly before a horrifying thought crossed her mind. _It's going to be daybreak soon. _She scrambled over to the heavy curtains and pulled them shut. The room became pitch black, it didn't look like a ray of sunlight could pass through them, but she was still very nervous. Amira wondered if vampires absolutely _had _to be in their coffins in order to truly escape the light, but for some reason it just didn't seem likely at all to her. She spent the remainder of the time until daybreak sitting and staring at the spot where she knew Dracula was lying. After two hours of doing this she became sure that he was alright. She suddenly realized that she was incredibly tired. Before she had even fully processed the thought she had fallen asleep.

xxxx

Amira awoke just as a scream escaped her lips. She shut her mouth quickly and stood up. She was drenched in a cold sweat. She could have sworn someone had just been standing over her. Amira rubbed her eyes and looked around, but it was so dark she couldn't see a thing. Amira fumbled around and found the door and opened it. Light poured into the room from the corridor, causing her to hiss and draw away. The sudden change hurt her eyes, but they soon became adjusted. When she looked back into her room, her eyes were instantly drawn towards the pillows and the blanket lying on the floor. Memories of last night flooded into her head and she clapped a hand over her mouth. _Where's Dracula? _

Amira stumbled out into the hallway and looked left and right before walking to Dracula's bedroom door. She knocked once, but there was no answer. Slowly, Amira pushed open the door and peeked inside. The room was devoid of any vampires. She turned around and rushed down the hallways, noticing that there wasn't even a servant in sight. When she got to Vasilios' door she opened it and walked inside, once again it was empty. Amira began to panic, her heart felt like it was caught in her throat_. Calm down Amira_... She took a deep breath_. They're all just going out to feed...at the same time_... She forced herself to walk slowly and calmly to the library, her footsteps echoing loudly on the stone floor.

When she got to the library she picked up the first book she saw and began to read. When she realized that she had been reading the same line over and over again she finally stopped and got up. Then she looked back down at the book and picked up again and placed it atop her head on an impulse. Back and forth she walked across the library, concentrating on keeping the book balanced. She realized that the repetitive task calmed her somewhat and kept at it for nearly an hour when the door burst open and in walked Dracula, all his arrogance returned to its fullest.

"Amira, my darling! I have returned." He called from across the room before walking forward.

Amira spun around and glared at him, the book that had fallen off her head lying forgotten on the floor. Dracula stopped several feet away. "_You._"She whispered with vehemence. Dracula arched a fine black eyebrow. "You just go and collapse on my bedroom floor and force me to stick a needle into you and you expect me to welcome you back with open arms? Oh! And did I forget to mention that I also woke up having no idea where anyone was?"

"I was thirsty." He stated simply.

"My God!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up and staring at the ceiling. "Do you ever thinking of anyone other than yourself?"

"No, not very often."

"Ugh!" She cried, disgusted with the man standing in front of her. "But why can't I find any servants, and where's Vasilios."

"The servants are...cleaning up."

"Cleaning up what?" Amira asked, though she felt she already knew.

"The aftermath of a battle." He replied cryptically, but Amira didn't really want him to elaborate so she let it be.

"And Vasilios?"

"I don't know." His facial features remained completely expressionless, except for his eyes, they became a dull blue as soon as Vasilios was brought up. "He disappeared after the battle." When he saw Amira looking shocked and sad he added, "But we did not find his corpse, so he could still possibly be alive."

"Right. Who sent the werewolf to kill you?" She asked bluntly.

"I do not know that as well." His lips drew into a thin line as his eyes flared to it's original brilliance once more. "I'm afraid that when I am confronted with two werewolves and multiple vampires that are intent on killing me I think more along the lines of staying alive rather than grilling them for information, but perhaps that's just me."

"Fine, fine. Whatever. I don't feel like fighting right now, ok?"

"Neither do I." Dracula paused, and tilting his head to one side, added in an overly formal tone, "I wish to thank you for...aiding me last night." He bowed slightly and then glared at Amira as if daring her to say anything. Amira nodded but said nothing.

"Sit with me Amira," He nodded towards the armchairs and started moving towards them, "We must discuss our wedding." Amira's lips immediately drew back in a snarl at the mention of it. Dracula looked over his shoulder and smirked, "I see you are still unhappy about it. Good." Amira growled but followed him. "Sit." He commanded. Amira threw herself into the armchair and began brooding. _Stupid Dracula. He's such a bastard. Bringing the stupid wedding up now._

"Oh come now Amira." He purred gently while seating himself in a much more dignified manner in the armchair across from her, "Surely this marriage does not please you _that _much."

Amira stared at Dracula in disbelief, "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm a better match for you than most men."

"I find it hard to believe that the man I'm best suited to be with is a six hundred year old vampire king."

"And I do not blame you. However, you do not have a say in this matter, and I did not wish to discuss this particular point with you at this time. I can assure you however, that when I make you my vampire bride you will see this in a different light." Amira snorted, but Dracula ignored it and continued on, "The marriage will be held in seven days; the day after your eighteenth birthday. I will be having a gown custom made for you. Tomorrow the tailors will come to take your measurements.You may do what you wish after that. I have set up extra safety precautions, so you will be unable to leave this house without me."

Amira stood up and began to leave, but was called back by Dracula, who had stood up as well. "Come here."

Amira looked at Dracula suspiciously but walked back towards him slowly. When he reached out to touch her Amira jumped back. Dracula smiled, her fear amused him to no end. "I will not hurt you." Amira hesitated, but walked back towards him. When he reached out to her again she forced herself to remain still, but all he did was touch her collar. The clasp on her collar broke and fell to the floor along with her collar. "You no longer need to masquerade as my pet." She stared at him hard, and then nodded and walked away.

xxxx

When Amira had gotten to her bedroom she rushed to the mirror and looked at her neck. It looked strangely naked without the collar, but she welcomed the change.

It hurt her to learn that Vasilios had just disappeared, but she would not give up hoping that he was still alive. She found it strange, but now that he had gone she found life so much less interesting. _I'm going to marry the king of all vampires in a mere week and I find life boring. What the hell? _The whole pet thing and looking forward to the ball had kept Amira's mind off of the wedding for a good week, and Vasilios had been quite fun to talk to when he wasn't lecturing on about etiquette. _God, I can't believe I actually enjoyed being Dracula's pet. _

Her thoughts then flipped to the ball that had taken place just yesterday, though it felt like ages ago. She skipped most of it, but then they rested upon the dance with Dracula. Her feelings for Dracula had never been as close to love and lust than they had been during that dance. Amira frowned, she was supposed to hate Dracula! and now she was feeling something akin to _love _for him? _I must be going insane. _

xxxx

Amira spent most of the night reading in her room, since there was not much else to do. Her hand constantly wandered to her neck as if to check if it was truly gone, though she knew very well that it was.

Eventually, the silence in her room became so overbearing that she had to get up and leave. She walked down the halls, slightly chilly from the constant cold drafts that constantly circulated these halls. She wandered this way and that, not really caring which way she was going, for she was far too lost in thought to care. Her head turned upwards to the immensely tall ceiling and, as she stared at it, a sudden feeling of oppressiveness washed over her. Amira felt a need to go outside, and she walked to the nearest door, knowing for some reason that she would be able to get to a balcony by opening this door. It did not surprise her when she opened a door to a starry night.

Amira walked slowly out and leaned against the stone ledge. She stared in awe at the multitude of of stars that spread across the inky black sky. The sheer amount of stars made her feel so very small and alone, she had the urge to weep. It was so terribly beautiful, she simply could not look away.

She did not notice when Dracula entered the balcony, nor did she protest when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She needed to be held, even it was by the man who had caused her life so much pain and suffering. And so she stood there, staring at the star sky, entwined in Dracula's arms.

xxxx

**A/N: Hm. Shortish chapter, but I swear to you that there will be tons of good stuff in the next chapter! **

**Oh. So in Sarahland werewolf scratches can't kill Dracula, so don't get all technical on me if this isn't actually true!**

**Also, now that school's started and the workload is getting bigger and volleyball season has started it's going to be pretty difficult for me to update quite often, I'll try to though:D**

**Lastly, your reviews were freaking awesome! I'd like to thank silver screen for giving me a review with the first like...hour after posting it! It made me feel like a pretty cool bean! It always makes me feel great when I open up my email and it tells me that I have five new reviews. **


	21. Chapter 21

Amira woke up the next night with a headache the size of Mount Fugi, meaning her head hurt like the dickens. She rolled over and sat up before beginning to rub her temples in soothing circles. She remembered stars and then...being carried to her room by someone. Amira groaned.

"You're awake." A voice called from the armchair, a voice Amira immediately recognized as the count's.

"Wow. Thank you for pointing that out to me, I never would have known otherwise."

Dracula ignored the sarcasm and replied airily, "You're quite welcome."

"Should I even bother asking why your in my room, watching me sleep?"

"You probably shouldn't, unless you wish to receive an unnerving answer."

"Uh..then I won't."

"Good." Dracula stood up slowly and faced Amira with an air of gravity that Amira had never seen him display before. "Amira," he started his eyebrows knitting together as he stared at her with increasing intensity. Amira held her breath, having a feeling that this was an incredibly important question. "Are you," Dracula turned and looked at her from the side, making Amira feel like she was in some sort of movie, "a virgin?" Amira was completely taken aback.

"What?" She exclaimed, not even realizing that she had stood up and now had her hands on her hips.

"Are you a virgin?" He repeated.

"Well, yes! Of course I am!" Amira scratched her head. "Why?"

Dracula just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I had to know if your wedding dress could be white."

Amira narrowed her eyes. "Right..." She felt intensely uncomfortable with this subject so she asked, "When are the tailors going to be here?"

"Very soon. Take a shower and get ready, you smell decidedly unclean and I cannot abide for my future bride to be unhygienic."

"Oh shut up! You know I'm hygienic."

"Just take a bath."

Amira stormed into the bathroom in a fury and slammed the door shut behind her. She was about to take her dress off when she felt the need to lock the door as well. She wouldn't put it past Dracula to decide to come in and "have some fun", even if the wedding was just six days away.

xxxx

"Milady. The tailors are here!" Announced Aida. "They're waiting for you in the fitting room. Do you need an escort?"

"No thank you. Count Dracula kindly showed me the way the last time I got fitted."

Aida curtsied and left.

Amira found her way to the fitting room rather quickly, and when she got there she was immediately pounced upon by a group of five tailors, much like the last time she had gotten fitted. The set about measuring her and comparing different types of cloth and lace against her skin. Amira just stood there, letting them go about their business. At last the head tailor said that they had all the information that was needed and that she was free to go. Amira nodded and left.

When Amira had left she had planned on wandering the halls for a bit, but her plans were cut short when Dracula was waiting on the other side of the door. "Come Amira. You look hungry. I have had the cooks prepare for you a splendid meal." He wrapped his arm around her waist in such a routine way that Amira barely noticed he had even done it until he pulled her quite close.

"You know, I'm going to have to be able to walk if we ever plan on getting there. If I'm plastered against your side I'm afraid it's not going to work. Unless you intend on carrying me?" Dracula's eyes flared bright blue at the suggestion and Amira immediately pulled away. "I was just kidding!" The words had barely left her mouth before Dracula picked Amira up bridal style and began carrying her down the hall. "Let me go!" She cried.

"No." He replied. "This is far too much fun."

"Ungh." She grunted against his chest. "I feel like an idiot."

"You are not. I would never allow myself to marry an idiot, therefore it simply cannot be."

"Ah, but perhaps your need to take revenge on my family is so strong that you have been blinded by it, and I really _am _an idiot and you just don't know it."

"I can assure you that that is not the case. My sense of perception is quite strong in this field."

"I think not. If you had _really _thought this through you would have realized that marrying a nearly eighteen year old girl that is just barely connected to the Valerious family is not really a smart idea. I may be pretty but I am not a blood thirsty fiend like most vampires."

"And neither were many of the people I knew until they became vampires. However, when the thirst takes control over your body, who knows what you will do? You might actually enjoy killing, it is really quite pleasurable when you have such an advantage over most of humanity."

"You're avoiding the main topic at hand Dracula. Have you truly thought this through? You're marrying an eighteen year old girl. I'm like...six hundred years younger than you."

"Most of my relationships with women have been superficial. This one does not have to be any different." His tone of voice had a sort of finality to it, so Amira dropped the subject. She was carried the rest of the way to the dining hall in silence. When they arrived Dracula placed her one the floor gently and allowed the doors to open on their accord before giving her a sort of mocking bow. "After you." He offered. Amira marched in and sat in a chair before beginning to eat.

"Pace yourself Amira. The food is not going to run away from you." Amira glared at him before continuing to eat.

"I didn't eat at all yesterday and barely anything the day before that." She put a large piece of steak in her mouth and said around it, "I have a right to be hungry."

"Chew and swallow before you speak, my darling." Amira ignored him and concentrated on her food. When she was finished she felt decidedly satiated. She smacked her lips and grinned at Dracula. "I'm glad you found the food so enjoyable." He began to slowly twist a knife around in his light and nimble fingers. Never once did he let it slip.

"The food here is always enjoyable," She replied. "Unlike many of the other things here." Her eyes caught a mischievous glint.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Still he continued to turn the knife.

"I think you know exactly what I mean."

"I'm afraid not. Could you please clarify?" He stopped twisting the knife; instead he examined the way that it caught the candle light if held at a certain angle. Though he seemed have his attention completely on the knife, Amira knew otherwise.

"Well," Amira started, "It's always so dreadfully cold in this place."

"I do not like the warmth." He began balancing the knife on the tip of his pointer finger.

"I know, I know. But most mere humans simply cannot abide to be in such cold temperatures for extended periods of time." Amira began watching the knife as well, he managed to keep it's balance perfectly.

"Anything else?" He asked, his attention still on the knife.

"Well, there is this one person here that always manages to get on my nerves. He's constantly trying to seduce me and to tell you the truth, I simply wish to be rid of him."

"Oh? And who may that be?"

"Well, I simply cannot tell you."

"And why is that?" Dracula flipped the knife upside down and held it with its hilt before beginning to twirl it once more.

"Because he will kill me if I tell anyone." A sharp crack rang through the room. Dracula had snapped the blade in half. It had sliced through his palm, though he showed no sign of pain. It healed right before their very eyes. He carelessly tossed the broken knife aside.

"I would not kill you." He paused to lick the blood that had managed to escaped the wound before it had healed. "Like I told you on your first night in this castle, killing you simply will not be enough."

A sadness filled Amira's eyes as she replied softly, "Will you ever stop thinking of revenge?"

"Never. Your ancestor aided in my death, I had to spend a century in hell because of that." He began to take on a more demonic appearance, his fangs lengthened and his eyes flared to a brilliant sapphire blue, but Dracula took control over his appearance again almost immediately. It began raining, Amira could hear the raindrops pattering on the large windows in the room.

"I will never make you happy Dracula, for I will never give in to you."

"Oh yes you will. There is nothing you can do to stop it. You have already been giving into me, slowly but surely. You have let your true feelings for me be shown on several occasions."

"That is not true!" She denied furiously. "Any time I have ever showed even the slightest bit of passion towards you has been when you have been attempting to seduce me, or even when I was merely caught in the moment."

"Stop denying it Amira. You know in your heart that it is true. You love me."

Amira stood up so quickly her chair fell back onto the floor with a clatter. "How could I ever love a man who has done so many horrid things to me?" She clenched her skirt tightly with her hands in order to keep herself from crying. "You have hurt me in so many ways, you have locked me in a dungeon on multiple occasions, you have seduced me against my will, you have destroyed my life!"

Dracula stood up and slammed his fist down on the table, causing it to crack. "You _will _love me!" He bared his fangs at her. "And there is nothing you can about it!" A lightening bolt lanced through the sky, illuminating the entire room with a bright white light. A mere moment later the thunder that followed it rumbled through the room, emphasizing Dacula's words. Dracula changed into his hellbeast form and rocketed through one of the large windows shattering it into a thousand shards of glass. Amira stumbled backwards and fell over her chair as tiny pieces of glass rained down upon her person. When she finally got up she shook the glass off and slowly walked towards the broken window. She soon became drenched for the wind was blowing in her direction, but she didn't mind. She merely stood there, staring into the distance as thunderclaps periodically resounded throughout the open air.

xxxx

**A/N: OH SHIT. Another short chapter. I just seriously did NOT want to continue it after I finished that last paragraph though. I felt like it would just completely ruin the moment, and I simply cannot abide moment ruiners! But guess what, the wedding is in like...the next chapter...perhaps the chapter after that if I can actually think of something to fill up the next five freaking days leading until that point! Haha. Don't worry, it'll all turnout ok in the end...or will it?**

**Um...yeah. So the next chapter is going to be short too...ahehe PLEASE DON'T KILL ME. I beg for you to review both, and seriously, even if you've NEVER reviewed before, I really just need something to get me going for the wedding chapter. (Yeah, that's right, I figured out how to check the stats! I have 85 page views for the last chapter and 9 reviews! SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE.)**

**It'll be wedding the likes of which you have never seen...or read, of that I can assure you. But only if I get like...the best reviews ever telling me that you absolutely CANNOT wait for that chapter to come! **


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: OH SHIZZLE. I got twelve reviews. YAYAYAYAY! So yeah, you're getting a chapter extra early!**

xxxx

Dracula did not return the night after their fight, but Amira was not worried in the slightest about his well being. Frankly, she did not care if he lived or died, though she knew that he would infact survive. She knew that he would probably end up killing some poor helpless family and wait out the infernal sun in their basement, probably sulking over the fact that she would still not give in to him. The thought made Amira smile, just imagining Dracula crying over something like this was very humorous. The thought of Dracula crying at all was so upsurd she laughed out loud. _Like Dracula would ever cry. _That caused Amira to frown, _has Dracula _ever _cried? _The memory of a single tear tumbling onto her face flashed through her mind, and her frown deepened. _Where the hell did that come from? _She touched the place where the tear had landed in her memories, and almost tried to wipe it away before she realised what she was doing. Amira smiled and shook her head before forcing her hand back to her side. She then continued to stare out the window in her room as she waited for Dracula to return. It had never ceased to rain, it was as if the weather itself knew that Dracula was angry, therefore it must rain.

"Waiting for me?" A voice asked, directly behind her.

Amira jumped but did not turn around. "Must you always sneak up on me like that?"

The count chuckled softly and replied, "It's the signature of a villain."

"You'd think that with those boots you always wear you'd make at least _some _noise on a _stone _floor."

"When you are a vampire you can make as little noise as you wish."

"I guess there are upsides to being a vampire then. You'd make great theives."

Dracula pretended to sound appalled as he replied, "Thieves? Never! Vampires steal nothing."

"Except innocent people's lives."

"They are not always innocent."

Amira finally turned around and said, "True, I suppose. But that doesn't really make it much better in my eyes. You are still killing, and I will be forced to do it as well."

"I am tempted to turn you right now just to show you how good it truly feels to sink your teeth into a someone's neck, whether they are innocent or not." Dracula's eyes were once more taking that brilliant hue that usually meant that he was getting angry.

"Oh but you've been doing so well at restraining yourself." Amira replied sarcastically, "Why spoil it now when the wedding is a mere five nights away?"

Dracula smiled deviously and said, "That is quite true. No, I will wait until our wedding night until I turn you."

Amira turned back towards the window as yet another bolt of lightening cut through the sky and sighed sadly before asking herself quietly, "Will it ever stop raining?"

"Not for you, I'm afraid." Dracula replied just a solemnly. A single tear escaped Amira's eyes and slowly trickled down her cheek and reached the tip of her chin before falling down to hit the floor.

xxxx

_Damn that girl...No, damn that woman. _Dracula paced back and forth in his chambers, on the ceiling of course. "God damn her!" He shouted to the empty room.

"Yelling at nothing again Vladislaus?" Called a voice from below. Dracula looked down at the direction of the voice and recognized Zane's small figure immediatly. He jumped from the ceiling to the floor and ignored the sense of vertigo that accompanied the swift descent.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Dracula demanded furiously.

"Why, I'm just here to say," he took a deep breath and said in a sing song voice, "I told you so!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about." He replied, a toothy grin painted on his face. "You're falling in love with Amira! I knew you would." Dracula growled at him. "Oh don't get angry at me. I tried to warn you, but no, you had to ignore my cries!" Zane stood up straighter and adopted a romanian accent exactly like Dracula's, "Ha! I will never fall in love with Amira." He mocked and then continued on in a much more serious tone, "And look at you now. You're going to get yourself killed, you know."

"I have not fallen in love with Amira!" Dracula snarled. "That silly girl is nothing to me except a way for me to get my revenge."

"Then you have become blinded by this revenge!" Zane snarled back just as fiercly. "You have thrown yourself into so much danger Vladislaus, Amira is so very powerful, and she will kill you with it!"

"She will not! I have not turned someone since Annaiya, and Amira will never be able to overcome all the energy I have stored over these past centuries!"

"You are a fool, Dracula. And your foolish actions will be the death of you," Zane grinned and added, "Once again." And he dissappeared with that last phrase ringing in the air, and Dracula stood there, staring at the spot where Zane had just been.

xxxx

Amira went to bed that morning feeling sick to her stomach. _Four days... _A voice echoed through her mind, repeating itself over and over. Amira had contemplated attempting to escape one more time, but as she had wandered through the castles earlier that day, she discovered that the security had infact been heightened. Stiff looking gaurds stood at every entrance to the outside world, and when Amira had tried to talk to them they had merely ignored her. _Four days..._ Amira fell asleep, the voice still calling out the same two words over and over again.

xxxx

Dracula fell asleep listening to a similar voice echoing through his mind as well, repeating the same two words until he thought it would drive him mad. He had begun doubting this plan soon after Zane had left, but whenever that voice drifted into his concience it was pushed down by another stronger voice, the voice of vengeance. That voice whispered words of sweet victory into his ear, telling him that once he married Amira all would be well, she would be under his control and his power would be even stronger than before. But still, that voice that doubted this plan still itched the back of him mind, telling him that this was a horrid plan, that everything would go wrong, that he would be killed if he let this go on. But Dracula stoutly refused to listen to it, knowing that if he did he would be accepting the fact that he had fallen in love with Amira, which could not possibly be true. No, he would ignore it, this voice that was trying to toy with his mind. And so he drifted into the realm of dreams, dreams filled with him triumphing over all with Amira at his side, staring at him with those beautiful green eyes, staring at him with love and lust and need. _Four days..._

xxxx

**A/N: WELL FUCK. Another even shorter chapter! But guess what...the wedding is in the next chapter!11!seven! And not to worry, all will make sense when it rolls around:D And hopefully that chapter will also be like...freaking long! Haha.**

**Oh...and for ye who have figured out that I've just been throwing in this random character Annaiya in, check chapter 8. Oooh that's right, I've actually mentioned her before! I bet you're impressed now! Errrr...she was Dracula's first bride in Sarahland. Does anyone smell a new story coming on? **

**God, these author's notes are far too long, but I have one last thing to say. ARGH, review me beauties, and I shall give ye all some o' me booty! (It's talk like a pirate day...or it was a couple days ago at least. ;D)**


	23. Chapter 23

The nights leading to the wedding past far too quickly for Amira's liking. She felt like she had during the nights leading to the ball, but this was terribly worse. She had no Vasilios to fill her nights with lessons about how to act like a pet, instead she was stuck reading and wandering about the castle and even occasionally talking to Dracula, though that became too painful after there was only two nights left. Now it was the final night, her eighteenth birthday, and Amira couldn't keep herself from twitching convulsively whenever she heard a sound. She was just so very nervous, she could barely stand it. She was actually beginning to look forward to the wedding, for after it she would have nothing to worry about. At least, she hoped she would. And it _still _hadn't ceased to rain.  
At the moment, she was sitting in a smallish dining room, for the servants were still repairing the window Dracula had broken earlier that week, eating steak.

"I'm glad you are enjoying this, for this will be your last dinner eating human food. After I have turned you, you will no longer be able to eat such things as steak." Dracula smirked and watched as Amira slowly set her knife and fork down and turned her green eyed gaze to Dracula's blue one.

"Must you try to ruin _everything _for me?" She asked in a sort of resigned voice.

"I just wanted to make sure that you savor every bite." He replied calmly, a small smile playing across his lips as he laced his long fingers together and set his elbows on the table, allowing himself to rest his chin on his fingers as he began to watch her.

"You're far too kind, you know." Amira said sarcastically. Dracula merely continued to watch her, his magnificent blue eyes drilling into her skull. However, Amira picked her utensils back up and began to eat, this time letting the delicious juices flow through her mouth before swallowing. Between pieces, she asked, "So, do all vampires automatically get brilliantly colored eyes when they are turned?"

"Most do, but if you're wondering, my eyes have always been this blue." Dracula smirked slightly. He had always taken pride in his bright blue eyes; they always managed to entrance females, even when he had been human.

"I'm ever so happy to hear that you had all this flawless beauty as a human as well." Amira shoved another piece of steak into her mouth. Dracula's smirk deepened, but he did not reply. Amira finished the rest of her meal in silence.

When she was finished, they both stood at the same time, but when Amira tried to leave Dracula called her back. "Amira."

"What?" Amira asked.

"Today is your eighteenth birthday."

Amira feigned a look of shock, letting her eyes stretch wide and putting one of her hands over her mouth. "Why, yes it is!" She exclaimed. "You know, your observatory skills have never ceased to astound me."

Dracula ignored the sarcastic reply and said, "I have a present for you."

Amira barked out a harsh laugh and took a step back. "Ha! Like I'd ever let you give me another present!"

"Why ever not?" Dracula asked.

"Well let's see," she placed her pointer finger on her chin and tilted her head to one side as she pretended to think, "Your first one had a tracking device in it and the second one was a collar. Why the hell would I let you give me anything else?"

"Because this is an honest present. There are no tricks this time. It's just a simply gift." Dracula replied with an air of sincerity that made Amira actually want to trust him.

She struggled for a moment before finally saying, "Fine. I'll take it." Dracula pressed a small, elaborately carved rosewood box into her hands before watching her expectantly. Amira opened the box and smiled slightly; lifting the necklace he had given her out of the box. It was a pendant on a thick silver chain. But it wasn't just _any _pendant, no; it was a pendant with Dracula's insignia on it, a serpent curling around the outer rim of the circular piece, its tail entwined about its head. The pendant itself was made out of a sort of old, beaten silver; she could tell it was hand made, and probably incredibly old.

"Do you like it?" He asked, a smirk already playing across his lips as Amira examined it carefully.

"Does it have a tracking device in it?" Amira asked bluntly as she began to turn it around and upside down, examining it from all angles.

Dracula's smirk faded into a frown, "Of course not. I will have no need for a tracking device once we are married."

"And why is that?" She asked, looking up into Dracula's eyes.

"Because I will trust you when you become my bride. You will become loyal to me, and only me." Amira sighed and fastened the chain around her neck.

"I suppose I will. You'll probably have complete control over me when I become your bride."

"Not complete control." He smiled and placed his hands behind his back. "That would make life rather boring if I were to have complete control over you."

"May I leave?" Amira asked in a quiet voice, a feeling of depression washing over her. She no longer wished to fight this; she no longer wished to be the rebellious teenager that she had been over these past few weeks. She just...wanted to sleep.

"I will accompany you back to your rooms." Amira wanted to protest, but it appeared that her willpower had totally left her, so she allowed him to wrap his arm around her elbow and escort her back to her chambers. They were totally silent, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. When they got to Amira's room, Dracula let go and turned to face Amira, who looked up at Dracula with empty eyes, the bright green flame gone. He placed one longer finger under Amira's chin and lifted it up, so she was forced to look into Dracula's eyes. "Happy birthday Amira." He then leaned in and planted a small, short kiss on her cheek. It spoke absolute volumes to Amira, starting with _he may just feel something for you. _He stared down at her, his brilliant blue eyes penetrating Amira's soul. Then he turned around and vanished with a dramatic swirl of his cape.

Once he was gone, Amira stood there for several minutes before slowly reaching up to touch the spot on her face where Dracula's lips had just been. It tingled pleasantly. That kiss almost seemed..._sincere. _And then the life was back in Amira's eyes, that flame had returned, and Amira allowed herself a short laugh. _Dracula? _Sincere? _Ha! _And yet, as she entered her bedroom and got undressed and finally lay down in her bed, there was doubt creeping into her mind, perhaps that kiss really had been sincere...

xxxx

Amira awoke the next evening with a feeling of utter calm. However, it was not like the calm she had felt when she rushed into battle, more like the calm before the storm, when everything was so unbearably quiet it made you want to scream, just to fill the empty void with noise. She cocked her head to one side when she heard shuffling, and then called out, "Zane?" Sure enough, Zane stepped from the shadows wearing a grave expression on his face.

"How are you feeling Amira?" He asked tentatively, his hands clasped at his waist.

"Oh fantastic, I've really gotten into the whole marrying a vampire lord thing."

"Well at least you still have your sarcasm, so you can't be feeling _too _bad." Zane grinned and began playing with one of his many bracelets. "I'm-" he stopped and took a deep breath, "I'm really sorry about this Amira. I know you do not wish to marry Dracula, but there is really nothing I can do to stop it."

"The Powers That Be, right?" Amira asked.

"Exactly." Suddenly Zane was directly in front of her, his thin frail hands clasping her own strong young ones in such a grip it caused Amira to wish to pull away, but she could not. "Amira, you must swear to me that you will not give in to Dracula's powers when you are turned." He stared at her with wide, pleading eyes. "It will seem tempting, and like it would be the right thing to do, but do not!" Amira drew back, not really sure what to say. "As long as some part of you is fighting his hold over you, you may survive with your soul still pure."

Amira nodded once, and then as if to clarify her nod, said, "I swear."

Zane smiled and said, "Good girl. You have powers beyond your wildest dreams; I know you can do it." Zane flinched and let go of Amira's hands, if only to place them on his head. "Oh shut up!" Zane yelled. Amira took a step back. Zane chuckled nervously, "Ehehe...Sorry. Just the voices in my head, nothing to worry about."

"...Right." Amira hopped onto a new subject, "Are you going to be at the..." she struggled to say the word, for a lump seemed to have gotten caught in her throat, she finally choked out, "Wedding?"

"Of course I will!" Zane exclaimed, "I couldn't miss something as important as this!" Zane's mouth split into a smile, "Unfortunately, you won't be able to see me, nor will anyone else. I do not wish to make my presence known, for I am an enemy among many of the vampires that will be attending."

Someone knocked at the door and they both turned to face it. "Amira?" Aida called in a somewhat muffled voice because of the thickness of the door. "I've got food!"

"Time for me to take my leave." Zane rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Amira's waist, giving her a loving quick hug. He let go and said in a thoroughly sincere voice, "You will make it through this Amira. Never doubt yourself." The door was opened and Zane was gone.

"I've got food." Aida repeated, holding up a silver tray laden with a steaming plate of eggs and toast. Amira inhaled the pleasant aromas and smiled. She thanked her quietly and asked her to place the food in front of her vanity. _Ah, now this will truly be my last meal. _She probably wouldn't have enough time to eat lunch what with all the preparations that would be needed to make sure she looked absolutely perfect for the wedding. She sat down and ate slowly, swallowing each bite and letting it slide down her throat to land with a pleasant warm feeling in her stomach. When she was finished she sighed and stared at the empty plate; it had been a filling meal and yet she still felt empty.

Quite suddenly, the door burst open and in poured a dozen young women, all giggling and talking in very excited voices. Amira wasn't even sure if they had noticed her until two of them separated from the group and grabbed her by the arms and dragged her into the bathroom so she could take a bath.

xxxx

Dracula sat at his desk in his study with his feet on the desk so he could lean back in his chair. He had mixed feelings about today; he was happy that he was finally going to marry Amira and complete his revenge against the Valerious family. However, the doubtful voice in his mind had been getting louder and louder until it was constantly shouting in his ear about how idiotic this idea was. Dracula was still stoutly refusing to listen to it, though it was getting more difficult with each passing moment.

_Don't do it. You're going to get yourself killed! _The voice screamed in his mind. It continued to yell things of this nature until Dracula finally got so angry that he picked up the glass of blood he had been drinking and threw it against the wall, effectively shattering the glass and forcing the voice to quiet down. He repaired the glass in an instant, and, after a moments contemplation, decided to leave the stain of blood on the wall. He smiled as grimly as he felt and began to watch the blood's slow descent to the floor, his thoughts constantly drifting back to the wedding that was in but a few hours. He thought it strange that he was so nervous about this wedding, he had never been nervous about a wedding before. Perhaps it was because of the conversation with Zane he had had the night before, or maybe it was because he had never grown quite so attached to one of his brides (or future brides for this matter) before.

"Oh Amira, what _have _you done to me?"

xxxx

Amira was currently sitting in front of her vanity mirror as four different servants were all painting her nails a deep red color. She was told not to move, not that she really wanted to. She felt like she undergoing some sort of surgical operation, and that if she moved she would surely die. She remained where she was sitting, her eyes staring straight at her reflection, which was looking back at herself with just as fierce an intensity.

"We're finished, milady!" One of the young servant girls called as Amira was pulled out of the seat and stripped down into her undergarments. They fit a corset around her waist and tied it quite tight, making it difficult for Amira to breath, but she managed. They then pulled the dress over the corset, and as it was being adjusted Amira realized that she had never seen it before, and she wondered how she would look when they were finished. The only thing she could really tell from it from her point of view at the moment was that it was...white, which really wasn't much of a description. But the young women had pulled her away from the mirror, and even as she sat back down at the vanity they turned Amira away from the mirror and began to work on her hair and makeup. They muttered constantly about which lipstick and eye shadow to use and everything in between. When they were finally finished they all congratulated each other and allowed her to stand up and look in the full body mirror.

The first thought that passed through Amira's mind was that the mirror was showing a different person. This couldn't be her; this person was far too lovely. It was an even greater transformation than that of the night of the ball. The wedding dress was absolutely gorgeous, a delicate white dress with silvery embroidery that caught the light like spider webs, shining and seemingly ephemeral, crisscrossing back and forth across the entire dress. It was strapless, the sleeves hanging loosely on both of her shoulders. It reached the floor and flowed out behind her, not quite long enough for anyone to have to pick it up behind her. The dress itself was made of the finest quality silk, pure as gold and it felt wonderfully cool against her skin. Her hair was pulled into an elaborate bunch on top of her head, similar to the hairstyle she had on the night of the ball, and yet...somehow far more elegant. Tiny red and black roses were somehow pinned into her hair; she couldn't tell if they were real or not, but they looked so realistic anyway it did not matter either way. Her makeup gave her a sort of soft beauty, drawing attention to her lovely green eyes and her full red lips. Amira felt and looked like an angel, and she thought it ironic how she was to become almost exactly the opposite this very night. A solemn servant girl came forward and placed a veil atop her head, and yet another girl attached the necklace Dracula had given her yesterday around her neck, the final piece in this wedding ensemble, and she was complete.

Amira shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath, for she was having some difficulty really being able to grasp the knowledge that she was to be wed to a man she very nearly hated tonight. When she opened them all the young ladies had left, and Amira was left alone, clutching the red roses she had found on the vanity.

xxxx

An abrupt knock on the door announced the coming of the person who was going to take Amira to the wedding hall. The door opened to reveal a nondescript young man dressed in a nondescript tuxedo...in fact, everything about him virtually screamed nondescript, which Amira had to admit was very odd for a vampire. He offered his arm, which Amira took rather tentatively, holding her bouquet of roses in her other hand. He looked her up and down and nodded, as if his approval of her really mattered to anyone at all. He then began to escort her to the wedding hall, the soft padding of Amira's satin slippers contrasting sharply with the loud tapping of the vampire's boots against the stone floors.

Amira was thinking of eggs and toast. Not only her favorite breakfast food, but also her last meal in the form of human food...ever. She found it almost humorous that she was about to become the bride of the most infamous vampire in the entire world, and all she could think about was breakfast food. When she finally managed to steer her thoughts away from the eggs, they came to rest upon a most disturbing revelation; she had not thought of watching her last sunrise and sunset. It had always seemed like such an insignificant thing with all the different and far more exciting things that were going on in her life, and yet, as she looked out one of the mammoth windows and saw only a velvety black sky, a growing pit of sadness welled up in her heart.

Her thoughts were abruptly cut short when the vampire who had been escorting her stopped suddenly. He turned to stare out the window as well before whispering quietly to her, "You did not watch the last rising and setting of the sun, did you?"

Amira was startled by the sudden and very insightful question, for some reason she had thought the vampire couldn't speak. "No." She answered in a regretful tone.

"I am sorry. I did not think to watch my last sunset either, and I had the choice to as well. I would have liked to see it...one last time." He sighed and began leading her to the wedding hall once more, both of them wrapped in thoughts of their own regrets.

Amira barely realized where they were until the vampire stopped once more. They were in a large ornate room, and directly opposite where they were currently standing was another pair of doors of grand proportions, exactly the same as the doors they had just came through. The murals along the wall drew in her attention immediately, in fact, she was so engrossed in it them that she didn't even realize that the vampire who had escorted her there had let go of her arm, and she was walking to the end of the room towards the set of the doors alone. The paintings themselves struck her as being very beautiful and pure, they depicted lovely pictures of pale angels singing and dancing in a seemingly peaceful way. On further inspection however, she realized that the closer she got to the doors of the wedding hall the angrier and evil the expressions of the angels became. She soon discovered that the angels were singing and dancing around groups of huddled humans, cowering against the powerful might of the angels. And then, quite suddenly, Amira discovered that they were not angels at all, but rather demons masquerading as angels. Their wings were fake, sewn onto their backs, blood still trickling from where the needles had pierced their skin. And she could now just see tiny horns peeking through their long hair, and their clawed hands and the malicious glint in their eyes and the shining white fangs that showed whenever one of them was smiling. And they were laughing at Amira; somehow they knew what was happening to her. Amira watched in amazement as they all seemed to turn to stare at her, and their silent laughter rang loud and angry through the cold air. Amira had to turn away; she could not take it anymore. _Everything is deceiving. _The words echoed through her head, she did not know where they had even come from, only that they spoke the truth.

Amira stopped, for she was at the end of room. Two young vampires, identical in every way from their clothing to their hair to their facial features, stood on either side of the giant doors, staring at her with deep blue eyes. They did not move, or make any sign that showed that they acknowledged her existence, except for their eyes. They followed her movements with their eyes.

Her heart was racing so quickly she thought she may faint any moment, and yet her head was perfectly clear. She could not think, not that she particularly wanted to at the moment. She wished that she could be anywhere else in the world, be anyone else in the world, and yet, as she stood there, straightening her posture and clutching her bouquet of roses tightly in her hands, she thought that maybe did not wish for those things at all.

Amira shut her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. She did not wish to open her eyes, she felt that once she did, she would be accepting the fate the would come with being wed to Dracula, the fate of a vampire. Forever damned by the living and by the pure, never able to set foot outside of the darkness when the infernal sun was shining, never able to see her family and friends ever again. The fate of a creature of the night. The fate of one that is evil. The fate of damned soul. The fate of an eternal bond to Count Dracula. When she opened her eyes she would be accepting her fate. Accepting it.

The twin vampires looked at each for a fleeting moment and nodded ever so slightly before pushing the staggeringly large doors open effortlessly with one hand and bowing her in.

Amira opened her eyes.

xxxx

**A/N: Oh, haha...yeah...the wedding's in the _next _chapter! But not to worry, I can assure you that there is no way in hell that I'm going to be able to make the walk up to the little...podium thinger in the nonchurch! -meep- Now it's time for me to go do research on weddings. Damn. WELL, ENJOY.**

** And as always, R&R, my dear reviewers, R&R.**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: ****Tell me what you think. In review form. (Excuse the lateness though. ) :**

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my dearest friend Sydney, because I failed to dedicate the last one to her. She really helped me out on the wedding dress, so go and sing praise to her!**

xxxx

Amira knew that when the doors were opened, the first thing she would see was Dracula, waiting for her, and she was correct. He stood atop a slightly raised podium, turned towards the decrepit minister as he waited in almost eager anticipation for Amira to walk through those doors. When he heard the doors open he turned around slowly, and even from so very far away, Amira could see his eyes, his blazing blue eyes. He looked absolutely magical, a dark prince from some sort of twisted fairy-tale. He was for once _not _wearing a military style uniform, instead he was wearing a sort of typical aristocratic medieval style groom's wedding suit, every inch of the silk fabric black and crisp and clean. It matched so well with his stark white skin, and he somehow managed to make it look to much more elegant than anyone else could. His hair was pulled back in that gold clip Amira had rarely ever seen him without, but those few strands of raven hair still fell in front of his face.

Dracula raised his head high and gazed down at Amira, drinking in her every feature, her every move, making sure that it would be etched into his memory from now until the end of time. She looked..._stunning..._absolutely angelic, no other words could be used to describe the woman he was about to be bonded to until the day they died. And suddenly he did not want to turn this woman, this angel, into a vampire, she looked far too innocent and pure and to take that away from her would surely be some sort of heinous crime, but he squashed those thoughts and just allowed himself to bask in his darkly glorious triumph.

The guests, all prominent and powerful vampires (and Zane), simultaneously twisted their necks to look at the bride, as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times, their pale faces and intelligent eyes scrutinizing everything about her. Everyone was wearing black or deep shades of red or green.

Zane was perched on one of the high wooden rafters, dressed in a somewhat stylish tuxedo that no one would have the pleasure to see, for he had made himself invisible. He clutched the beam next to him as he leaned forward, and the softest of sighs escaped from his lips as he watched the exquisite beauty began her walk up the aisle.

A soft melody began, filling the room with hauntingly beautiful music. The music was playing from nowhere and everywhere, no one could tell who was playing it, not that anyone particularly cared at the moment. It was not that normal wedding music, not that sickeningly happy tune that made people smile, no, this music was far different, a little classical melody that could make someone weep.

Amira barely felt herself gliding across the floor, her gaze transfixed on the man that she was drawing nearer to with each coming step. Amira almost wanted to turn back, to run away and just pray to God to cleanse her of her sins and allow her to enter heaven in peace, but she did not, and it was not just because she knew that that would be hopeless.

Dracula could hear Amira's heartbeat from across the room, pulsing in his mind. The closer she got, the quicker and more frantic it became. He felt it drumming in his head, as it always was, for she was (and always had been) the only living human in this entire castle. He had constantly wanted to bite Amira before the wedding, that heartbeat could drive a man mad, but he waited, knowing that he would be the one to still it forever in the end was enough to keep him from doing it.

Amira tried to clutch the bouquet harder until she realized that it was no longer in her grasp. Someone must have taken the roses from her, or perhaps there had never been any roses. Amira suddenly couldn't even remember any roses, but her thoughts were so jumbled together she wasn't all too worried about the absence of roses in her hands.

Each step brought her closer to the man she hated and loved, the man she cherished and wished to die at the same time. The wretched walk to the podium took an eternity or no time at all, Amira wasn't exactly sure which. One second the doors had been opening to all her entrance to this unholy sanctuary, and the next she was standing next to the count. It also felt as if each step took a lifetime to take, and that she would never get to podium. It was strange how very contradicting her thoughts and emotions could be.

And then finally (or far too soon) Amira was standing there, next to the vampire king. _And I am about to become his vampire queen. _Amira had never really thought about that before, and she wondered briefly what life was going to be like once she was turned. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought about what her future as a vampire was going to be like at all. The wedding had always seemed to be so far away, and now she was standing next to Dracula himself, about to be wed to him.

Dracula stared down at Amira, his eyes wishing to penetrate that mysteriously defiant soul of hers, but she was staring up at the ancient minster, waiting for him to begin the wedding sermon that would bind them together forever. Dracula turned his face to the minster as well, and the music faded into nothing, and the man began.

"I welcome you tonight to the marriage of Count Vladislaus Dragulia and Amira Erelah Valerious." The minister's voice boomed across the room, filling everyone's ears with a deep baritone that did not seem to suit his body at all. "We are met together to join this man and this woman in a most unholy matrimony."

"This covenant is held sacred only to vampire and the humans that are to be turned into vampires, for it involves the death of a human and the rebirth of that human as something much more. This is a volatile covenant, it could be used as a way to show just how deep one's trust is to another, or it could be used for revenge. This bond also goes far deeper than any covenant a human could have with another human, for this one requires the exchange of blood. A blood covenant is the deepest of all covenants, and only the most powerful can break this oath." The minister glared down at them both, looking as if he were just daring one of them to try and break it after they were married.

He stopped and then turned to Dracula, "Vladislaus, will you have Amira to be your wedded wife, to live and die together in this covenant of marriage? Will you turn her and bond yourself to her in a pact so unholy, that it will cause this Amira to never again be able to step foot in the light of day, for she will become a creature of the night?"

Dracula turned to Amira and spoke loudly and clearly, his Romanian accent making it sound so rich, "I will."

The minister turned to Amira, "Amira, will you have Vladislaus to be your wedded husband, to live in die together in the covenant of marriage? Will you allow him to turn you and bond you to him in a pact so unholy, that it will cause you to never again be able to step foot in the light of day, for you will become a creature of the night?

Amira turned to Dracula and stared deep into his eyes, and when Dracula stared back he saw that they were filled with defeat and unhappiness, but when she spoke, her voice did not waver or quake, "I will."

The minister nodded and turned to the vampire guests. "If anyone knows any just cause why you may not be joined together in matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." The silence was absolutely deafening. Zane fought the urge to cry out, but he knew that death would befall them all if he did. "The rings please." A very small vampire child rushed forward with his head bent low, carrying a blood red velvet cushion with two shining silver rings rested on the center of it. "Vladislaus and Amira, please join hands." Their hands entwined, Dracula's were deathly cold, and they continued to stare at each other. "Vladislaus, take Amira's left hand in your left hand and with your right hand, place the ring on her finger." Dracula picked up the ring and slipped it onto Amira's ring finger. The metal band was as cold as Dracula's own hands. "Give Amira the vows she that she will follow."

And Dracula began, his calm voice did not betray the emotions roiling through his body. Emotions of hate.

"With this ring you give yourself to me.

You will place your strength in the service of my happiness.

Your dreams will not be shared.

Your burdens will be bared.

From now until eternity, you will be not complete without me."

"Amira, take Vladislaus' left hand in your left hand and with your right hand, place the ring on his finger." Amira did as she was told, slipping the plain silver band on Dracula's ring finger. "Give the vows."

Amira wondered fleetingly how she was supposed to remember them until they came tumbling out of her mouth.

"With this ring I give myself to you.

I will place my strength of your happiness.

Your dreams I will fulfill.

Your burdens I will still.

From now until eternity, I will not be complete with you."

The last phrase was uttered through her lips at a whisper, though the room was so very silent that everyone heard them as if she were shouting them in their ghostly white faces. It felt as if once she said them, she was now truly bonded to Dracula, though the turning hadn't even begun yet. Amira wasn't sure how deep these vows were, but she had a feeling that unpleasant consequences may befall upon her if she broke these vows.

"You have entered into a most unholy covenant of marriage, held sacred by all vampires since the dawn of time. May your bond last forever and your disappointments be few." He turned back towards the vampire guests and swept his hands wide, Amira had the impression that is this had been a movie, the pits of hell would have opened up behind minister and flames would have shot out, giving him an even more satanic appearance than he already had.

"By the power vested in me and in the name of the almighty Satan himself, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may bite the bride."

If anyone in the room had needed to breath, the would have been holding their breath at that moment. Zane had scooted to the very edge of the rafters and was currently biting away at his fingernails, defying gravity as he let go of the beam he had been holding onto and leaning completely forward without falling, watching in dread as Dracula closed in on Amira in almost slow motion.

Dracula's eyes blazed the most brilliant blue Amira had ever seen them as his fangs lengthened and sharpened to deadly points. Amira's heartbeat raced in everyone's ears and he inched nearer. Dracula was drowning in her scent, it was so rich and pure and heavenly. What little humanity that had shown in his composure had disappeared in an instant, and it was replaced by this satanic creature Amira had never known before, even when she had seen him in his hell beast form he had never been quite so frightening. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her near, her head rolling back to one side and exposing that smooth pale neck Dracula had always fantasized about tasting, but had never been able to. Amira suddenly very desperately wanted to struggle, she willed her body to wriggle away from this wretched beast, but it would not comply. All she could do was wait tensely, her head held back as Dracula inched nearer and nearer. He leaned forward, any thought that had been passing through his mind at the time had been wiped out of existence, only to be replaced by the need to complete his revenge, to turn this beautiful young woman into the very thing her ancestors had hunted for so long. And right before he was about to bite, an impulse struck him and he turned and whispered in Amira's ear, "You will now truly be bonded to me." And without another word, he tightened his grip and crushed Amira against his cold body and sank his pearly white fangs into her neck.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: AHHHH FUCKFUCKFUCKINGFUCK. Ehh...Sorry, there were these big editor's note thingers and I didn't see them and I posted the chapter and blah. And then it happened again. So you aren't actually getting three new chapters... OK. I think they're all gone. If they aren't...deal with it. I'm not reposting this chapter again. -sigh-**

**A/N: Now, I know I'm not going to be able to churn out a chapter by Friday, so I'm going to tell you this now.**

**_Twas a long time ago..._**

**_Longer now than it seems..._**

**_In a place that perhaps you've seen in your dreams..._**

**Those random poetic lines are actually NOT a result of my insanity. IT'S THE OPENING LINES TO THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. -cough- REASON:**

**_THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS IS COMING OUT IN 3-D ON THE 20TH!!! _**

**Only in select theatres though. Try and see it anyways. It's my favorite movie (that's a good enough reason). I just hope the 3-D-ness won't ruin it. Eh... I'm sure I'll love it anyways.**

**And you will too. If you watch it. **

**Now.**

**Disclaimer: Opening Lines To NBC equals Danny Elfman, Tim Burton, Touchstone Pictures, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I'm also not making any money off of this ad-ish type thing. So neh. **

xxxx

Amira gasped and threw her head back as both blindingly painful and pleasurable feelings washed through her body, leaving her feeling weak and defenseless. She had no sense of time or where she was or even who she was, all that she knew was that she never wanted this feeling to stop, and yet she did at the same time. Her feelings always had to conflict with each other at the oddest of times. She wanted to cry and shriek for help, and at the same time she wanted to moan and beg for more. All she could really do was grasp tightly at Dracula's arms as he continued to suck the life giving blood out of her veins.

Dracula had wanted to savor every second of this moment, but nothing had planned him for this. As his fangs had broken through the tender skin of Amira's neck and pierced her jugular vein he had told himself to remain as conscious as possible. But as her warm, luxurious blood hit the roof of his mouth and washed down his throat he had been thrown into feelings he hadn't experienced in centuries. Wave after wave of pleasure beyond his wildest dreams ran over him. It was all he could do to remain upright as continued to drain Amira of her blood.

Every single vampire in the room had scooted to the edge of their seats and was watching the turning take place in eager anticipation. Zane had wanted to look away, he had thought that he would not be able to bear to see this spectacle, but he found that he simply could not tear his eyes away.

The pain had subsided somewhat, or the pleasure had heightened to such an extent that Amira could no longer really feel pain, she wasn't exactly sure which. Whatever it was, it had been replaced with sheer bliss. Amira felt as if she were floating, every color in the spectrum flashed brightly before fading, only to be replaced by yet another color. She was in ecstasy...

Dracula listened closely to Amira's heartbeat as he continued to drink her deliciously salty blood. He listened as it got quicker and quicker, desperately trying to fight this losing battle to circulate blood through it's body's veins. He did not let a single drop of her blood escape his hungry mouth; he did not want to waste any of it. Not a single drop...

Amira was in heaven... She wanted it to go on forever... She completely lost control of herself; her legs gave out from under her as she faded agonizingly slowly into unconsciousness. Dracula had to literally hold her up, all the while following her heartbeat as closely as possible. A small moan escaped her lips, her eyes rolled back into her head as blackness began to engulf her, swamp her mind.

Dracula knew that he was cutting it far too close, Amira was so close to death, but he didn't stop. He was submerged in her scent, her very essence, and it was overwhelming him. It would be so easy to just go on and allow her to die as he sucked her dry, but no! He could not! Dracula gasped and pulled back, and Amira let out the smallest of cries.

Her lungs wouldn't hold any air. Her limbs wouldn't move. Her heart was dying. _She _was dying...She didn't want to die...

She was plunged into the darkness, she was drowning in it. There was no light to guide her through this endless nothing. Amira was completely helpless. Amira tried to call out, her mind tried to cry out to someone, tell them to save her...

_Please... Help me... _

And then, when she thought all was lost, a voice called out to her in the darkness. Such a lovely voice... it must belong to an angel...

"_Amira..._" the voice said, "_Amira. I have brought you mere inches from death itself." _This heavenly voice was music to her ears_. "I'm going to give you something that I have never given anyone I've ever turned before... A choice." _The voice paused, as if contemplating this recent announcement, then it began again in that deep, lovely voice. _"I am allowing you to choose whether you wish to become a creature of the night, or do you choose death, death and possibly eternal darkness. Do you choose me? Or do you choose to die?" _

Amira was not aware of the consequences of choosing this man, this angel. All she knew was that if she did not choose him, she would die, and the only that would await her would be this eternal darkness.

Amira used the absolute last of her strength to whisper these three fateful three words in Dracula's ear, the three words that would change her forever, make her something she could barely imagine, give her power beyond her wildest dreams, but also a curse that would haunt her forever, in Dracula's ear she whispered these three words, _"I choose you." _And with those three words, Amira had truly sealed her fate. It was not like before, when she had accepted her fate right before she had walked into the wedding hall. No, this time she had _chosen _it. She had made the decision, even though she had been in a state of delirium when she had chosen it, it would not matter. She had chosen Dracula.

Dracula almost smiled, he almost wanted to jump up and down and whoop uproariously, but he forced himself to remain perfectly calm. He easily transferred all of Amira's weight to one of his arms and he sliced through his own deathly pale wrist easily with his fangs, fangs still red with the blood of his own bride. Before he allowed it to heal her lifted Amira's head up and brought his wrist to her lips. The first trickle of blood flowed into her slightly parted lips and down her throat. It was as if someone had suddenly switched the "On" button on her, Amira's eyelids fluttered open and she slowly she reached up to grasp Dracula's wrist. And all too quickly, she had latched onto with her now moist mouth and drank his blood. She let the deep rich taste swim in her mouth, throwing her once again to a place where reality was plausible. Her head swam, and all she knew was that she had to keep drinking this delightfully warm and salty liquid, because if she didn't she was surely die. My god, it was so good...

Dracula watched before his very eyes as Amira transformed so very dramatically. Her skin became pale as ivory, he felt her canines sharpen, they bit into his wrist, her entire character seemed to become more wild, but the most drastic change of all was her eyes, the eyes that had haunted him for so long, the deep impenetrable shade of green they had been was gone, only to be replaced with a startling emerald color Dracula had never seen before. Her eyes were now wide open as she continued to drink his delightfully rich blood.

And then he suddenly pulled his wrist away. Amira cried in anger and surprise at having her supposedly only source of life pulled away from her. Her fangs lengthened as she moved forward with absolutely inhuman speed, throwing herself at Dracula, or rather his neck. She had to have more blood. It was so _good. _Dracula barely reacted fast enough but he just managed to dodge her and wrap a strong arm around her waist. He pulled his bride close to him and whispered sweet soothing nothings into her ear. Amira calmed down, her fangs shortened and merely became sharpened canines, the pointed tips barely peeking out from under her upper lip. Her wild appearance was lost.

She looked into the face of the man that was holding her so tightly, so close. This man...this angel was her savior! She had been rescued from the cold hands of death by this person. But...who was he? He seemed so tantalizingly familiar, but everything had been sharpened and focused to such an extent that Amira had to shut her eyes. Everything had become so _vibrant. _And when she reopened her eyes, and she looked into the face of the man who was still holding her. He gazed down at Amira with such radiant blue eyes, every speck of color as bright as the next, and pupils as black as night, just like his hair. And then Amira recognized him. And she wanted him. She _needed_ him.

"Oh Vladislaus..."

And Dracula smiled in triumph as he penetrated her soul so easily and felt the adoration Amira now felt for him. He allowed himself to bask in his glory, he had won. Won what? He wasn't exactly sure what, but he felt as if he had finally defeated some ancient beast and saved the damsel in distress. He was her prince, her dark angel.

Every feature on Dracula's face had been accentuated to the point that Amira felt as if she should be looking through a magnifying glass. Everything was so much clearer than before, so much brighter and more vibrant. She could see each and every individual strand of midnight black hair on his head, and she could see a speck of dust on his coat in her peripheral vision so clearly that she didn't understand how she ever could have missed it. Amira didn't know how she managed to live with everything looking so... dull... before. Suddenly, Amira could not remember a before, everything from her memory had faded into nothing, all she knew was that her dark angel was standing before her, and she had to have him for herself, for this man had saved her life.

Dracula stared back at his bride, so much about her was different, and yet she still looked exactly the same to him. He stared back at her, and he saw a hunger in her eyes that he had not seen in centuries. He grasped her waist a little tighter and pulled her a little closer. "Come." He whispered so softly, softly enough that Amira thought shouldn't have been able to hear, but it sounded as clear as if he had shouted it in her face. "We must feed." he whispered, his deep, smooth voice vibrating through his chest and in turn through Amira, and she felt sensations that she had never experienced before.

"Yes." She hissed back, her tongue exploring her own mouth, letting it feel with senses that had been dull for so long. How had she managed to survive? Amira didn't quite know _what _she had survived from, but she marveled in the fact that she had managed to live for so long with out the senses she had now.

Dracula whispered again, "I will not have you transform, not yet. After your first taste of mortal blood perhaps." He smiled, and Amira realized how absolutely beautiful her angel's lips were, how red and perfect they were.

She felt herself grow faint. "I...I'm so thirsty."

Dracula smiled and said, "Then let us quench this thirst of yours."

Everyone rose and waited almost impatiently for the sweet talk to end and for them to fly away into the night's sky, for they all knew that after one is first turned into a creature of the night, they are overcome with a thirst so deep, that if it is not satisfied soon after the turning the vampire would spiral out of control and attack countless people.

Dracula lifted his bride into his arms and then nodded almost mockingly, to his guests before transforming into his hell beast form and flying out of the wedding chapel and through a set of large open windows into the night sky.

And suddenly Zane was not so sure that everything was going to go nearly as well as the Powers That Be had planned...

xxxx

Dracula landed with Amira in his arms in a damp and dark alleyway and transformed back into his far more human form. If one were to come across the couple at that moment, they surely would have thought that the bride and groom had just walked straight out of some horror film, everything about them seemed so perfect, and yet at the same time it all looked so tainted, like these two people were never meant to be together. A groom dark as night and a bride white as light.

Dracula set Amira down on the ground. She turned her beautiful head upwards to gaze at Dracula with that complete adoration he had felt inside of her earlier that evening when he had looked into her soul. He couldn't quite believe how incredibly well this was turning out, and he knew that revenge had in fact been the way to go after all. Dracula almost wanted to laugh at how absurd he had been, doubting himself, the master of all vampires! No, he was wrong to ever doubt himself; this could not have gone better.

"Tonight will merely be a night for feeding, nothing more." Dracula told his bride as he set out on a brisk pace through the alleyway, looking for some innocent mortal for Amira to sink her teeth into. "I will teach you the dark arts of seduction later." Amira followed closely behind him, drinking in his every word. The continued walking for some time, Dracula was searching for something. What exactly he was searching for Amira wasn't sure. Dracula suddenly stopped and cocked his head to one said and asked, "Do you hear that?"

Amira looked questioningly at her angel. "Hear what?"

Dracula only smiled and replied vaguely, "Listen." Everything went silent, and then Amira could hear as clear as a bell, a steady beat echoing inside of her skull. She smiled and that hunger returned to her emerald eyes, giving her an almost deranged appearance. She looked back at Dracula, who nodded in silent consent. Amira vanished silently into the darkness. Dracula was startled; he had never seen any vampire other than himself move so incredibly fast. He walked forward at a slower pace and soon came upon Amira and a young man who she had backed into a wall. She suddenly bolted at him; the man gave out a small cry of horror before Amira grabbed hold of him by the shoulders and pierced his neck with her deadly sharp fangs. His eyes immediately rolled into the back of his head and he fell limp in her arms. Amira moaned against the man's neck, nothing had ever tasted as good as this.

Dracula found the whole scene incredibly erotic, and he suddenly wished that he was in the place of that dying man so he could feel Amira moaning against his own neck. Dracula got so caught up in his fantasies that he almost failed to see Amira carelessly drop the now dead man on the ground. Blood dripped from her fangs and dripped down her chin, but she wiped it off with her hand and then licked it up, not wishing to loose a drop. It was far too good to waste.

An unusual glow was emanating from her, giving her the far more angelic appearance she had had when she had first walked into the wedding hall. Dracula was entranced by her beauty. Amira turned and walked back to Dracula.

"I want more." She told her angel simply.

"Not tonight." Amira looked angry, but Dracula took a step forward. "I will not have you overindulge." Amira sighed and backed down. "Come. I will take you back to our castle." He lifted her effortlessly in his arms and then vanished into the night with no one but the crumpled dead body as a witness to what had just occurred.

xxxx

**A/N: This chapter is late, I know. Homework is like a leech attached to my free time. Bleck.**

**This is the product of listening to The Deadfly Ensemble for three hours in a row. It may be just a tad bit dark. Yeahh.**

**And don't worry, why Amira is acting so weird will be explained in the next chapter. :**

**R&R **


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Ungh...I know you're all wondering why it took so damn long to write this chapter...it's because I kept getting depressed whenever I'd attempt to write it, so then I finally just gave up and started a new nonfanfiction story. Yeah. I like it so far, but it's not like I'm going to do anything with it, just something to get the brain juices flowing, I suppose.**

xxxx

Amira awoke the next morning feeling absolutely terrified. She couldn't quite place here fear at that very moment, all she knew was that she had to get _out. _Of what, she didn't quite know, that is, until she opened her eyes…

Amira shrieked aloud in terror. She was trapped inside a box! She felt the cold surface of the box and realized it was made of some sort of stone. Her eyes rolled around in fear, she hadn't realized she was claustrophobic until just now.

Amira braced herself and pushed with both her hands and her feet at the top of her tiny prison. To her utter surprise the lid of the box pushed away with ease and hit the wall several feet away with a deafening crash.

Amira stood up and gasped for breath and put a hand against her chest to quell her heart, which would surely be pounding in her chest right now. Amira continued gasping for a bit before something occurred to her that was even more terrifying than waking up in the box, _her heart wasn't beating. _

Suddenly, all the memories of the previous night came flooding into her mind. She couldn't think, she couldn't speak, and all she could was stand there. She suddenly felt incredibly ill, and it was all she could do to get herself inside of the bathroom and to the toilet. She fell against the cold marble floors and retched up nothing but blood until she felt entirely empty inside.

Amira finally stood up and wiped her streaming nose and eyes against a cloth. She turned around to look at herself in the large mirror in her bathroom, and she cried out once again when she discovered that she had no reflection. She backed away until she hit the wall and then sunk to the floor as tears began welling up in her eyes once again.

Dracula found her an hour later curled into the fetal position in the corner of the bathroom, sobbing quietly to herself.

xxxx

Amira awoke several hours later in her soft, lush bed, and for a few happy moments she believed that this had all been some sort of terrible nightmare, and that she was still human, still alive. _Just a nightmare..._

She sat up and ran one of her hands through her hair. Her head hurt, and she wanted some aspirin. She turned and got of bed.

_Coffin._

And there it was, lying on the floor several feet away from her. Amira stopped dead in her tracks. Smashed pieces of the lid lay scattered across the floor. Amira bit her lip to keep herself from screaming, and cried out anyway as her fangs easily pierced through her lower lip. She opened her lips and felt for blood, but it had already healed and dried away.

"No, no, no, _no!_"

Amira clutched her head in her hands as the room went spiraling. She barely felt her knees hit the floor. She continued to kneel there for a very long time, she didn't cry, or even think, she just knelt there, drowning herself in a sort of unexplainable sadness.

After Amira had been kneeling there for quite some time, the door to her room opened slowly. Amira slowly looked up and saw the face of her... angel. And he looked like an angel indeed, the bright light from the outside hall gave him a sort of shadowy outline, and Amira swore she saw massive feathered wings sprouting out of his shoulder blades, but when she blinked they were gone.

He walked in slowly, carefully stepping over the stone rubbles strewn about the floor. When he reached her, he held out his arm for her to take, which she did. Dracula effortlessly lifted her to her feet.

"Why are you so sad, my darling?" Dracula asked in that rich voice that Amira loved so very much.

Amira had the strangest urge to be angry at her angel, to tell him to leave her alone, but when she looked into his eyes, the anger dispersed immediately. When she opened her mouth to reply, she realized that she suddenly couldn't even remember why she had been kneeling on the ground.

"I..." she faltered slightly, not quite sure what to say, "I don't know." She frowned, feeling that was the wrong answer, and added, "But I'm not sad anymore."

Dracula sapphire eyes twinkled as he replied, "I didn't think so."

Amira twitched; there was something _wrong _with what her angel had just said. She didn't quite know what though, so she shoved the feeling away and allowed herself to be drawn in by his beautiful eyes again.

"Come Amira, your skin is cold, you need to feed." Amira's emerald eyes lit up. Dracula entwined his arm with hers, "And today, I'm going to teach you how to fly." A bright smile leapt to Amira's features as they rounded a corner. "It's rather easy, really." The walked in silence until they reached the balcony.

The doors to the balcony were already opened, as if waiting for them. A chilly wind swept through the open doors, Amira welcomed the cold air. They walked to the edge of the balcony, and Amira looked over the edge. It was a fairly steep fall, but Amira did not worry, she trusted her angel not to let her die.

"I want you to open your heart to all the darkness inside of you Amira." Dracula told her. He had let go of her arm and was now staring intently at her.

"How?" Amira asked simply.

Dracula frowned and folded his arms across his chest. "First you must forget everything you knew about being human." He paused for a moment, and looked out over the edge. He continued on, "And then..." his frown deepened, he had never had to explain this to anyone before. It had just come to him naturally when he had transformed for the first time, he had just _known _how to do it. "You will... feel it within you. A... sort of ball of darkness, calling to you, enticing you. Embrace it, and you will transform."

Amira nodded slowly and tried to forget all she knew about being human, which was really rather harder than it sounds. Whenever she thought she had done, a little memory would slip back into her mind, something insignificant, like the time she scraped her knee on the sidewalk when she was five. She shut her eyes tightly and grabbed hold of the ledge, and when she opened them, she saw the night sky. She stared intently at the starry sky and then... nothing happened. She could still remember how human she had been, she could still remember what it had been like to be mortal.

"I can't do it." Amira sighed. "I... don't know _how _to forget." She was immensely disappointed with herself. _I should be able to do it. _

She did not wish to turn around and have to gaze upon the dissappointment she was sure would be painted on his beautiful face but when she felt a hand rest upon her shoulder she forced herself to turn around. The next thing she knew, her lips were being pressed against his and her world was thrown off it's axis. His hungry mouth drank her in, and Amira grabbed his coat and pulled him closer to her. Her mind was swept into darkness, she truly couldn't remember anything about being human, all she knew was that she had to have him. Amira groaned against Dracula's mouth as he backed her up until her back was pressed against the ledge. His fingers raked through her beautiful brown locks as Amira's fingers clenched convulsively at the back of his jacket.

And suddenly, and far too soon for Amira's liking, Dracula backed off. Amira panted needlessly, and grabbed the ledge for support. Dracula moved in closer and turned Amira around before grasping her by the waist. "Now embrace your core of darkness..." he whispered so very quietly into her ear. And Amira knew what he was talking about this time. There was _something _inside of her, calling her, telling her to let go of everything she had known and accept her inner darkness. She grabbed hold of it and allowed it to swallow her whole.

Amira's eyes momentarily flashed black before flaring a bright emerald, her nails lengthened and sharpened into claws and her skin turned deathly white. Dracula tightened his hold of her and did something Amira did not expect at all.

_He threw her off the ledge and into the night air. _

xxxx

**One of my beloved fans: YO MY GOODNESS, is lyk...Amira gonna die?!?!?!?!**

**Nightmares: ...No.**

**A/N: No, surprisingly enough, I'm not planning on letting Amira plummet to her doom. Shocking, eh?**

**Sorry this is so freaking short, I'm just not in the mood to write more, and I know that if I try to I'll probably end up screwing the entire chapter over. Bleh. Plus, I didn't want you guys to have to wait any longer, seeing how I doubt any of you have been appreciating this three week long wait. Eh...not to worry, I've just got to get this one thing worked out, and then you can all dance in the street with merriment as chapters begin to flow once again.**

**Oh, and I'd like to go ahead and point out that this is only like... the fourth time they've ever kissed. Yeah, that's right, they haven't kissed since Chapter 10. !!!**

**And don't worry, I'm not going to force you all to through another three week long wait.**

**-Nightmares**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: OH. I HAVE 200 REVIEWS. -confetti streams out of strategically placed machines in the room- So guess what, you all get a super long chapter! Holy fuck... this IS really long! This easily beats my previous record of my longest written chapter. GO ME! This goes out to all of my reviewers, cause you helped me get here.**

**Prepare for a long winded speech...**

**I never imagined getting this popular on my first fanfic. I feel pretty cool right now! I just sort of... started writing one day, and next thing I knew, I really wanted to post it somewhere. The beginning isn't really that great, but I think I've improved sooo much thank to this fanfiction, so I'd like to thank everyone who ever gave me good critiques and support. Thank you all!**

**Ha! It wasn't so long after all!**

**Enjoy.**

xxxx

The cold air whipped out at Amira's entire body as she plummeted at an alarming rate towards the ground below. _What the hell... _she thought distantly to herself. _He has his own cliff? _Indeed he did, Amira realized that she would have hit the ground by now if she had been thrown off anything else. _Well, at least I have more time to figure out how exactly I am supposed to change. _But as the ground became closer and closer that more distant her thoughts became, until at last she just latched onto one, which was to attempt to grasp at the inner darkness.

She fumbled around through the void; she wasn't quite sure how she would be able to find a ball of darkness within a void of darkness, that is, until she began to feel its pulse, vibrating through her like a heartbeat. She suddenly knew exactly where it was, so she reached out and enclosed her clawed hand around it. The darkness flooded her, and her world turned black. She forced herself to open her eyes after a moment, and suddenly she realized that the ground was getting farther away, because she was floating. _No... I'm not floating... I'm _flying. And she was. She was _soaring. _She stretched her wings out and beat them, feeling herself rise several feet with ease as her strong wings beat again. She cackled inhumanly as she flew back to Dracula, but he was already out to meet her, already in his own hell beast form. The form used to frighten her, but now it just enticed her, wanted her to drawer nearer to this monster.

"Come." He ordered in a sort of guttural growl, as if English was not a language meant for his vocal chords, which it probably wasn't, at the time.

He flew away in the direction of the city, keeping high above the clouds in order the keep themselves from being seen. Amira thought the cold would have bothered her, not just bothered, would have killed her, but now she welcomed it. She wrapped herself in the cold, and realized why vampires always kept their homes so chilly. It was just so... _comfortable. _

Amira took this time to get used to her new body. She examined her arms and hands, discovering that they were now white as parchment. Her nails, which were more like claws now, were black, and several inches long. She tested their sharpness on her arm, they cut through the skin easily, but Amira found that the pain didn't bother her at all, for it healed in just a few seconds. When she looked to her left and right, she examined her wings as best she could, they were as white as the rest of her body, and she could also see all the tiny veins running their way through them. They were long and thin, they could probably be torn easily, but they were also sturdy enough to easily support her weight. She was so caught up with examining herself that she almost didn't see Dracula dive to the ground, his leathery wings flattened against his sides. Amira followed tout suite, mimicking his actions and diving with him. She wasn't worried about hitting the ground, she trusted her angel far too much to believe that he would ever allow something like that to happen. But then again, he _had _just thrown her off a cliff, how much could she trust him after all?

All treasonous thoughts left her mind as she opened her wings once again to help her slow down. She dropped onto the ground gracefully, already back in her human form. Dracula waited for her, leaning up against a wall a few feet away. She ran to him and stood attentively at his side as he watched mortals walking by on the more open part of the street. They stood there for several minutes, neither of them moving so much as an inch. Amira learned that it was actually quite easy to remain perfectly still for long periods of time, her entire body just felt relaxed all of the time.

"Their lives are so fleeting."

Amira turned her head and looked at him. He didn't look at her though, he just kept staring at the men and women walking by, chattering incessantly to each other, mostly in Romanian, completely oblivious to the man and woman watching them with a keen eye.

"I could kill them all in mere minutes so very easily..." He seemed to be talking to himself. He snapped his fingers. "Just like that." He looked down at Amira, "I suppose that is what makes them so attractive to me. And the fact that I am something immortal, seemingly untouchable, is what makes me so attractive to them. We both want something the other has, yet neither of us are truly willing to give up what we have for what they will give us. Ironic, isn't it?"

"They are also so very easy to manipulate." He paused for several minutes, Amira wasn't quite sure he was going to speak again. "It is almost painfully easy to seduce a human..." Dracula turned his head and looked down at his bride. "In most cases." They stood there, staring at each other for several more minutes, each captivated in the other's beauty. Dracula eventually broke the contact and began observing the humans again. "I suppose vampires just have a certain charm about them that makes them irresistible to most humans."

He sighed deeply and faded into a sort of unawareness of his surroundings. Amira didn't want to intrude upon his thoughts, so she tried to observe the humans like Dracula did. She found that she could almost tell exactly what their personality was like by the way they talked. When they did, they gave off a sort of aura, most of it was constantly changing, depending on the human's mood, but some components of it always remained the same.

"Listen."

Amira vaguely remembered him telling her to do the very same thing last night, but that seemed like such a long time ago and she had been so _thirsty _at the time that she couldn't quite remember if he had said those words at all.

Amira listened though, and she listened intently. She could hear every human within about twenty feet of her as clearly as if they were talking right next to her, and the rest was just a blur.

"No. Focus on one in particular. And listen for more than just his voice."

Amira focused on a man several feet away, looking inside a shop's display. He was talking with his friends.

"Do you think she'd like that?" The man asked his friend concernedly as he pointed to something within the display case.

Amira didn't quite understand what Dracula meant by listening to more than just his voice. She turned to Dracula to voice her complaints when he said, "Just listen."

Amira pursed her lips and listened for something more than just his voice. She growled in annoyance as all she heard was his voice once again.

_God... I have no idea what I'm supposed to get her. _

Amira turned to Dracula again when he nodded back to the man she had been listening to.

_This is horrible. I never should have waited to the last minute to buy her a gift. _

Amira gasped in shock as she realized that she wasn't listening to the young man speak, but she was in fact listening to him _think. _She smiled in amazement at herself and vampires everywhere, and wondered once again how she had ever got by without these amazing skills.

"Mind reading is one of the key tools to seduction for a vampire. For humans it's just a simple guessing game, they can never truly be sure of what the man or woman they are trying to seduce is thinking or feeling. Vampires, on the other hand, can sense emotions and read minds as easily as hearing someone speak. You can use this tool against your enemies if you can manage to break through their barriers, and, when you truly become a master of it, you can eventually learn how to use mind control." Dracula's little speech had opened up so many doors for Amira, and she was now eagerly waiting to be able to try her new power out.

Dracula faced her and rested one of his pale hands against her face. Amira practically wanted to melt into his palm at this simple touch; it had sent such wonderful sensations through her entire body.

"A vampire's touch is also a powerful thing." He growled in a low, deep voice, his eyes alight with lust and passion, "I have made women dance like puppets on strings for me, just so they can feel my hand resting against their face once again." He grinned as he saw the lust equal to his own in her eyes. His hand finally left her face and he turned once again to observe the passerby with his keen, feral eyes.

"I want you to seduce and kill someone tonight. It can be anyone you choose."

He crossed his arms across his chest and nodded into the crowded street.

"Go."

Amira disappeared into the crowd with an eager expression on her face. Dracula waited a few more minutes before he in turn faded into the crowd, not as eager as his bride to feed tonight.

xxxx

Lord Azlin was in a rather cheerful mood, humming a tune slightly off key as he walked down the cobbled street. He slowly twirled his walking stick around in one gloved hand as he gazed into the brightly lit shops on either side of him. His last play had been a great success. How he loved these idiotic foreigners, give them a mediocre love story play and they'll go wild over it just because it involved "true love". He chuckled darkly. He was the type of man who, rather than be safe and keep most of his money in his savings, generally blew off half of it in one night doing God knows what.

When nothing in the shops around him appealed to him, he decided that tonight, he was in want of a women. He had heard that the prostitutes here were quite good. He started in the direction of the prostitution district when a rather lovely young women caught his eye. She was staring into one of the shop's display windows at some priceless jewelry, seemingly alone. Every once and a while she would tap her lips, as if she was wondering if whatever she was looking at would be something she wanted to spend her money on. She looked young, barely legal, something Azlin liked very much. Azlin put on his most suave attitude and strode over to her, cane in hand.

"My, my, now don't you think it's a bit late for a lovely young lady like yourself to be out and about?" Azlin asked, barely able to restrain the lust that wished to enter his voice. The young woman turned and stared at him, her beautiful emerald eyes wide with shock at discovering that there was someone next to her.

She smiled slightly and replied, "Oh, I don'tthink so, the streets are just so crowded, I didn't think anyone would dare try anything on me. Do you?" If at all possible, her eyes managed to get wider with innocence as she asked her question.

She looked so young and innocent, standing there with her eyes still wide with surprise, her white dress hugging her body in such a way that made Azlin just want to take her now, in this very street. Oh how he loved innocence...

"Oh, I think not, now that you have a male present at your side." He allowed a smile to grace his attractive face and tipped his top hat to her as he continued, "I am Lord Azlin DuVont. And who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"

"Amira Valerious. It's a pleasure to meet you milord DuVont." She coupled her introduction with a small curtsy and a smile. Her smile was just ever so slightly unnerving to Azlin, he couldn't quite place his finger on it, but something about her grin made him want to attempt to disappear into one of the crowds that were constantly walking through the street. He quickly dispersed the feeling and matched her smile with one of his own.

"Oh please just call me Azlin." He enjoyed hearing his own name on young ladys' lips, something about it always managed to get him feeling aroused.

Amira bent her neck and smiled at him again. "As you wish... Azlin."

That unnerved feeling flashed through his mind again, but he beat it down with his cane, figuratively of course. He was not about to just go and lose such a beautiful young women just because of a silly feeling of nervousness.

"Well then, m'dear, where were you going next?" he asked politely.

Amira tilted her head to one side, as if considering something, before answering, "I was just planning on going home, but home can be an awfully lonely place with only one person." She bit her lower lip ever so slightly as she stared into Azlin's light gray eyes. He caught on to the bait instantly. _Perhaps she is not as innocent as I thought..._

"Ah, quite. Then perhaps I should... escort you back to your abode?" Azlin held out his arm, which Amira linked in her own.

"Why thank you Azlin, I'll feel much safer with you at my side."

They set off down the street in silence, Amira playing with one of the buttons on Azlin's jacket. She looked up and steered them down a dark alleyway. When Azlin looked at her questioningly she merely replied that this was a shortcut to her home. Amira soon forgot about the button on Azlin's jacket and began stroking his arm. Her touches sent electrical shocks up Azlin's arm, and it was causing him to get more and more aroused by the second. He sincerely wished for Amira's home to be very close, for the idea of taking her in the middle of this alleyway seemed more and more appealing to him by the second. Her arm slowly began to creep down his until the reached his belt. Azlin was quite suddenly intensely aware of how hot he was feeling right now, it cause him to have to halt.

"Oh my, it's quite a hot nii_iiight_," his last word reaching a sort of high pitched squeak as her hand began to caress his groin. _Not so innocent at all. _

Amira backed him up into the wall directly behind him, causing his top hat, which had already been a bit askew, to fall off his head. Neither of them noticed. One of his arms encircled her waist and pulled her nearer. He used his other hand to cradle Amira's head as he began to kiss her wildly, his need for her completely overcoming his sense. He turned her around and pressed her up against the wall, grinding against her as he did so. Amira used her free hand to rake her fingers through Azlin's dark brown, shoulder length hair.

Her mouth slowly left his and began to trail down his face and then to his neck, focusing on his jugular vein, which she could feel pulsing through his skin as well as her own mind. Alzin moaned and threw his head back, giving Amira even better exposure to his neck. He felt something sharp graze his neck, but he paid it no mind, he was about to topple over the edge into a pit full of pleasures beyond his wildest dreams. And then, with frightening accuracy and speed, Amira's fangs pierced through his neck and into his vein. He gasped as pain instantly overwhelmed his pleasure. He tried to scream, but all that came out was a gurgle as blood began to fill his lungs. Amira's hand left his pants and supported him as his legs gave way. His life was drifting away from his grasp. And then...

The world was thrown into darkness.

xxxx

Amira marveled at how easy it had been to seduce Lord Azlin. She had him in the palm of her hand from the moment he had seen her. She smiled darkly as she remembered how, exactly, she had seduced him. She had never done anything like that before, but it had felt very... good.

She licked her lips, trying to find a bit more blood that would send her over the edge. She had quickly learned that drinking blood caused her senses to become extraordinarily sharp and keen. She could see every piece of dirt clinging to the opposite alley wall several feet away from where she was standing, she could feel even the slightest draft of wind, she could pick apart every smell that wafted into her nose, though most of them were unpleasant.

She eventually began to walk back towards the throng of humans, feeling rather proud of herself. She soon began picking out men from among crowds, trying to divest how she would seduce them if she had chosen them instead. She liked the man she had killed though, not for his personality, but for his blood. It had tasted much better than the blood of the homeless man she had killed yesterday. She liked the blood of the rich...

And then, as she walked among the crowds of humans, a thought suddenly struck her. An absolutely horrible thought that caused her stomach to turn over. _She was killing people. _She put a hand over her mouth as tears sprang forth to her eyes. A strangled sob escaped her lips as she staggered. Her world was spinning; she had to get away from all these people. All these mortals... all this blood. She didn't want to kill again just to keep herself alive. Another sob broke through her constricted throat.

Someone placed their hand on her bare shoulder and she jerked and turned around. It was Dracula. Her angel. She fell against his chest and sobbed quietly, not caring about the crowd that was beginning to form around them. Dracula wrapped his arms around her in a comforting way for a few moments before lifting her off her feet and carrying her away, back to their home.

xxxx

Amira awoke the following night feeling distinctly unhappy with herself. She remained lying in her coffin for sometime, just staring at the stone lid that was just a few inches away from her face. She didn't quite remember why she was unhappy though. Her memory of last evening was scattered, she could only vaguely remember parts of it, most of it including what Dracula had taught to her about mind reading and flying, and also a man... a mortal man. But she could remember nothing past the fact that he had been mortal... and attractive.

Eventually, Amira slide the coffin lid off, once again it fell with a booming crash, but this time it did not break. Amira sincerely wanted to know how Dracula did that whole... making things defy the laws of gravity... thing.

She sat up and got of the coffin. She still felt a bit claustrophobic, so she walked over to the window and pulled open the giant curtains. White hot pain was the first thing she felt, both from the sun and the fact that when she had leapt away from the light, she hit her head on the wall. She crawled away from it, wanting the burning to stop. She hid herself in a dark corner, away from the light. It hurt to even look at the brightness, so she covered her face with her arms. The sun was just beginning to set though, and she knew she would be able to get out of the room soon. _Why the hell did I wake up so early? _Amira didn't know the answer to that question, she had always just assumed that vampires automatically woke up when the sun set, never before it. After about twenty minutes, the sun finally disappeared among the craggy hills, and Budapest was plunged into twilight.

Amira stood up and shakily pulling the curtains shut, She inspected her arms and hands to see if she had been burned at all, but if she had, they had healed by now, and her skin was as smooth and pale as ever.

She sighed and leaned against the velvety soft curtains as depression slowly began to creep back into her system. She briefly wondered why she was so inexplicably sad, but she soon came to the conclusion that this was natural with all vampires, Dracula tended to have strange mood swings as well, so why should she be any different? As her thoughts led to Dracula, she started to wonder if Dracula was awake yet. She started towards the door, but before she had taken more than a few steps, Dracula opened the door and strode inside. He examined the floor for several moments before commenting dryly, "I'm glad to see you didn't destroy this coffin."

Amira bowed her head with embarrassment, "Sorry about that. I was just a bit... nervous."

"A bit." Dracula raised one of his neat eyebrows elegantly and folded his arms across his chest.

"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting to wake up inside a coffin." She replied defensively, mimicking his motions by folding her arms under her breasts.

"You should have. You _were _turned into a vampire. Did you expect you would just be able to sleep through the day without any protection at all from the sun?"

"Hey! I wasn't exactly at my best when it came to moments of clarity that night! I barely remember a thing." Amira's eyes flashed dangerously. Dracula smirked, he loved to taunt her, and he was actually quite happy that she still managed to resist him to some extent.

He shrugged and replied, "I suppose not, but you still shouldn't have over reacted like that." He turned around and walked away. When he reached the doorway he turned back and said, "I have work to do today. You may do what you wish." Amira nodded slowly and turned away, peeking through the curtains to look at the night sky. She found that she was become increasingly fascinated with its beauty.

xxxx

Dracula sat at his desk, looking over papers full of figures he didn't particularly care about. He just wasn't in a very caring mood today, and he had a nearly unlimited amount of wealth, so none of these bills really mattered to him. He sighed; he really needed to get someone to do these sort of things for him.

He eventually gave up with trying to concentrate and propped his legs up on his desk. He shut his eyes and began to drift into sleep...

"Ugh! How can you do that?" A disgusted voice broke through his sleep. "You're going to leave scuff marks all over that desk, you know."

Dracula sighed and, not even bothering to open his eyes, answered, "And since when have I ever cared?"

"Well... never. But I was thinking that you might have had some sort of amazing change of heart involving how you treat your furniture now that you have a new bride, which reminds me, how is she doing?"

"Just fine, thank you." Dracula was already getting annoyed with Zane's presence, but he was also in want of some company, and company with Zane is always interesting.

"Well that's just dandy! No marriage troubles, I presume?"

"No." He replied, not bothering to keep the traces of annoyance out of his voice. They both fell into silence, and after it remained that way for a few minutes, Dracula half opened one of his eyelids to see if Zane was still there, and nearly fell off his chair in surprise. Zane was sitting on the desk, peering at Dracula's face intently, his crooked nose a mere inch away from Dracula's own straight one.

"You know, you really shouldn't take advantage of the fact that you have no heartbeat or smell like that."

Zane grinned toothily, "But I just adore frightening you!" He shifted his eyes left and right, as if he were about to tell Dracula a secret and he didn't want anyone to hear it. He then leaned in close to Dracula and whispered in his ear, "I think I'm one of the few people that actually _can _scare you."

"I wasn't scared. You just surprised me. I'm not exactly used to opening my eyes and seeing an ancient old man and inch away from my face."

"Come now! You should be prepared for anything! You've been living for over four hundred years now."

"Don't you have more interesting people to bother right now?" He asked tiredly.

"Nope." Zane replied brightly. He disappeared with a crack and a puff of smoke and reappeared behind Dracula's desk. He turned around and nearly tripped over himself as he stared at the large splatter of blood on the wall. He turned back to Dracula and then pointed at the blood stain accusingly. "Ew. That cannot be good for the wall."

Dracula pinched the bridge of his nose, he felt the beginnings of a headache coming on. "I was angry that day."

"Really now, I know your temper can be bad, but you didn't have to go and _kill _someone in your _study. _You work in here and people will see it and... well it's just gross." He eyed the blood stain cautiously, as if he was expecting some horrible monster to wander out of it's murky depths and do nasty things to him.

Dracula rolled his eyes and replied, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind the next time my temper tries to get the best of me. Can't have bloody stains all over the walls now can we, it might make a bad impression on my numerous vampire guests that get queasy over the sight of blood."

Zane held up his hands in a defensive gesture. "No need to get sarcastic."

Dracula was in no mood to think of a witty comeback, so he just let the conversation dwindle into silence once again. Zane observed Dracula as he continued to massage the bridge of his nose with his eyes shut. "And stop staring at me." Dracula told Zane. "It's weird." Zane overexaggeratedly looked anywhere else other than Dracula, and Dracula continued to steadily ignore Zane.

"You know, you could still save yourself." A deadly serious expression had replaced that jolly one that had been there just moments before. "You're in love with Amira, but if you push her away, you could still get out with your life."

Dracula's mood soured instantly. "Get out."

"But-"

"_Get. Out._" Dracula stood and placed both hands on his desk.

"I'm only trying to-"

"OUT!" Dracula roared at the top of his lungs.

Zane sighed and disappeared with a flash.

xxxx

Amira had used this night to do... absolutely nothing. She had mainly just drifted aimlessly through the palace like some sort of ghost, not really seeing or feeling. When she had finally gotten bored of that, she went back to her room and lay on her bed, which was how Zane found her.

He crept up slowly, careful not to make a sound, he could hear her breathing slowly, gently, it was a habit most vampires never quit doing. He loomed over her and, posed, ready to strike, yelled at the top of his lungs, "BOO."

Amira shrieked and leapt off her bed and onto the ceiling, hissing defensively at Zane. When she realized it was Zane, laughing uproariously, the hiss died in her throat. She soon noticed that she was looking up at Zane.

"How the hell did you get on the ceiling?" She asked.

Zane cackled. "Oh, I'm not the one on the ceiling."

Amira realized that Zane was standing next to the bed.

"Holy..."

Her ability to defy gravity suddenly abandoned her, and she fell, almost in slow motion, to the floor, landing with a dull thud on her back. Zane stood over her, grinning wickedly.

"You have no idea how funny that was."

Amira rolled over a stood up.

"What the hell was that for?" Amira half shouted.

"Use your inside voice, my dear." He wagged his finger at her. "And I did it because it was funny, and I needed a good laugh after the show your husband put up."

"My... husband?" Amira tilted her head. "Oh yeah... I'm married..."

"Oh, and what a night the marriage was! You looked absolutely stunning, no... radiant! No... glorious! No-"

Amira cut him off, "I get it! I looked nice."

"Yeah..." He spun around on heel and checked himself out in the mirror. "Why do you still have this? It's not like you can see yourself in it." Amira frowned.

"I don't know... It adds life to the room, I guess." She sighed, and watched Zane flatten his thin white hair down. She still got a little unnerved whenever she looked into a mirror and didn't see her reflection. _Maybe I _should _get rid of it._

"So. Why are you here?" Amira asked bluntly.

After Zane was sure that his hair had been returned to all its formal **would the word you wanted be former or was formal correct?**glory, he turned around and said, "I wanted to know how the marriage is going so far."

Amira's eyes lit up. "It's going excellently." She grinned, and both of her fangs peeked out. "My angel is an absolutely fantastic husband."

Zane shook his head in disbelief. "Did you just call Dracula your... angel?" He fumbled over the last word; he couldn't remember Dracula ever being described as an angel before.

"Of course I did." Her eyes became veiled as she stared through Zane, lost in memories. "He... saved me..." and, feeling the need to elaborate, continued, "He saved me from the void. I was trapped in it, and I was going to die. But he gave me a choice, the choice to live or die." She smiled.

Zane frowned, he didn't want to think that Dracula would have brainwashed Amira. He doubted that even Dracula would stoop to that level. Amira was just a bit... disillusioned at the moment. All the horrific moments that she had recently experienced had probably caused her mind to focus around the idea that Dracula had saved her from death. And not because he was the one that caused it.

"I see..." Zane knew that it was wrong for Amira to think of Dracula as an angel, but he was in no mood to break her spirit at the moment. For some reason, he doubted that she would appreciate learning that Dracula was in fact the most feared vampire in the entire world.

"You don't believe me?" Amira asked, taking his vague answer as that of disbelief.

Zane held up his hands in defense and replied hastily, "Of course I do!" He sighed inwardly, he knew already that he could not bring himself break Amira's heart like that. She was already under so much strain and pressure right now. She would just have to figure it out on her own. Zane sincerely hoped that he would be nowhere within a mile of Amira when that happened.

"I'm... glad you're doing so well." Then, just out of curiosity, he asked, "Do you remember why you were dying?"

Amira's eyebrows knit together as she frowned thoughtfully. "No, actually."

And then, because he simply could not resist asking, "Do you really think that Dracula is an angel?"

Amira sighed sadly. "No. No I don't. I know he's far from it. But he saved me from the darkness, and I love him for it. So he is _my _angel."

Zane nodded thoughtfully and then, with his happy demeanor returning, said, "Well then, now that I'm quite sure I've overstayed my welcome, I bid you adieu!" He took Amira hand in one of his own and kissed it quickly straightening his back a saluting her. He disappeared with a particularly loud crack and left Amira to think about the conversation that had just passed.

xxxx

**A/N: Please, I beg of you, I really want you to tell me what you think of this chapter. I really gave this chapter my best. I think it's the best I've ever written, and I hope you do too. I really just wanted this to be a thank you for all of the people who have stuck with me from the beginning. Please, please, please! Review!**

**Oh, and in Nightmare's world of fanfiction, there are smartly dressed, attractive, rich, young men who make their fortunes doing something involving the arts. Everywhere. And they can all speak English. Cause I can't speak Romanian or Budapestian or whatever it is that they speak over there. And sure, there are plenty of fluent English speaking men and women in Budapest. Cause I wish it. Deal with my cultural inaccuracies later.**

**And Zane likes to meddle. Generally for the good of his friends, so he means well, but yeah... he really likes to meddle.**

**-Nightmares**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Firstly, I'd like to congratulate myself on getting 17 reviews on the last chapter. I'm very proud of myself. (Ignore the arrogance)**

**Secondly, I want you all to throw stones at me for writing such a short chapter. WAIT. Strike that! I'd rather you not. **

**I believe you all deserve an explanation regarding why it took me so long to actually give to write this ah... two, possibly three page chapter. A massive writer's block of doom reared it's ugly head dove into my mind and made itself right at home there! -le gasp- But not to worry! I was visited by a beloved muse last night, which would explain why I woke up at four in the morning with an undying need to write. So here I am, at five in the morning, writing... Huzzah!**

**And after that, go read Remember's excellent stories which I have neglected to read lately due to my need to punish myself so I would feel the need to write by not reading any Van Helsing fanfiction whatsoever! (Brilliant idea, eh?) SO. I apologize profusely to all who waited ever so patiently for me to R&R their stories. Especially Remember, seeing how she had just put me on her Best Reviewers list. -le sigh- NOT TO WORRY, I'll be sure to finish reviewing Eighth Deadliest Sin by the time I finish highschool!**

**NOW, on with the extremely short chapter!**

**xxxx **

Amira did not sleep when morning finally reared it's annoyingly bright -and painful in Amira's case- head. She merely shut the curtains tightly until she was shrouded in darkness, then continued to do what she had been doing all night: Think. And get angry. And cry. And sulk. In that order.

It was funny, she had always thought that vampires just became unconscious or something when it was dawn. Of course, that was irrelevant, she was far too busy sulking at the moment to care about such trivial matters.

Almost immediately after Zane had left the room, Amira had begun to question Dracula's motives when he had saved her from Death's door. She desperately wanted to believe that Dracula had saved her because he loved her and could not bear to let her die, but that just lead her to take a glance at Dracula's character, which would then force her to realize that Dracula would never save her without a hidden motive. She would then proceed to get angry at herself for being so blind, then at Dracula for so obviously placing some spell over her so that she would become a fawning fool, and then at Zane for opening her eyes so abruptly to the truth. But... Being a fawning fool wasn't _that _bad. After that, she would cry until her eyes stung and her throat became hoarse from wailing so pitifully. Soon after she lost the energy to cry, she would curl into a ball and damn everyone who took part in this malicious scheme to the depths of hell. The reader may consider that Amira's version of sulking. And then the whole process would repeat itself over and over again.

However, it soon became such a monotonous cycle that she forced herself to not think about it at all. And her eyes hurt. A lot. Unfortunately, her mind wandered too easily, and it always lead back to one particular subject. Or rather, question.

_Why? _

Amira felt like there had to be _some _reason why Dracula would do such a terrible thing as to turn her into a creature of the undead. Other than to have her as some sort of... eternal pleasure slave. But Dracula wouldn't have bothered to marry her if that was the case. And then someone whispered in to her ear in such a soft, pleasant voice, that it made Amira want to trust the owner of the voice immediately.

_Vengeance._

She recognized that word. And that voice. It was so familiar, and yet she could not place her finger on it. But now she had a lead; she knew that that word had to be relevant to Dracula's motive.

_Vengeance. _What was it? Not the word... she knew what that meant. But how was it relevant?

_Vengeance. _

_What would he want to be vengeful for? _

_Vengeance. Why did I think of that?_ Amira raked her hand through her hair. When she pulled her hand away her dark brown curls tumbled forward. _Curls. Curls like Anna's. _She smiled at the thought. She had always liked that movie. _Van Helsing. Anna Valerious was so pretty. _And then it hit her. Hard.

_Valerious. The last Valerious. _

And it was as if those three words had triggered something in her mind. All her memories of her stay with Dracula flooded forward. She remembered everything, including the reason pertaining as to why she was kidnapped by Dracula in the first place. It was all the cause of vengeance. Vengeance on Amira's family due to some idiotic reason. Dracula didn't love her. He didn't love anyone with the exception of himself. He was a narcissistic bastard.

Something inside of Amira broke at that moment. Perhaps it was her heart. Amira couldn't quite be sure, because if it was truly her heart that broke with the realization that Dracula did not love her, then it would mean she loved Dracula. And that simply could not be the case. She hated him too much to love him. God how she hated him... She couldn't have loved Dracula...

But soon the hatred was overpowered by an even stronger emotion. Fury.

Dracula kidnapped her and seduced her. He had turned her into a monster. He took her away from the people she loved and threw her into a cruel world in which the only way to survive is to grovel at the feet of people whose powers are stronger than yours. He hurt her in so many ways. He manipulated her and toyed with her mind in order to exact something as trivial as vengeance for something that occurred nearly a century ago. Worst of all, and coming to this conclusion hurt her the most, he broke her heart. She couldn't deny it. She had loved Dracula, though she wasn't quite sure if that had just been Dracula implanting the feeling in her mind or if the feelings had been true. But it didn't matter anymore.

Amira stood up and stared without seeing at the wall opposite her as she clenched her fists together hard enough to draw blood from her sharp fingernails. But she didn't care. This pain was trivial compared to what her heart was feeling right now. And besides, it healed in an instant.

But then the familiar, musical voice whispered once more in her ear.

_Vengeance will make the pain go away._

Her mind whirled around this idea. Vengeance? It would be sinking to Dracula's own level, but then again, he deserved it. He deserved it a thousand times over. Oh yes, and Amira would be the one to give it to him.

A malicious smile crept to Amira's features as she came to a conclusion.

She would kill Count Dracula. She would make him pay for everything he had done to her.

And with that notion branded in her mind, she strode out of her room in as dramatic a way as possible, allowing the doors to slam open and be knocked off their hinges to fall down to the stone floor.

xxxx

And as she walked away to do battle with Count Dracula, a man stepped from the shadows. A man with a pleasantly familiar musical voice. He had to hold back his laughter as he watched Amira stride so valiantly to meet her doom.

_God, this is too easy. _

**xxxx**

**A/N: Oh god! This chapter is as short as the chapters in my beginner days! (Though hopefully better written).**

**Luckily for you, I've already written the next chapter, and it's much longer than this one, so you don't have to worry about waiting an extra nine billion days for the next chapter. I'll probably post it later this week. :D**

**On another note, please try hard not verbally bludgeon me for having Amira stumble so... ridiculously through figuring out that Dracula is infact a bastard.**

**If there are any editor's notes in there, please refrain from informing me of them. I'm far too lazy to actually go back and delete them. (And yes, I do realize there was one in the last chapter)**

**The inside of my mouth tastes like blood. Ew.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Terribly sorry if it says that I posted two new chapters in your emails, I forgot to add an entire section of this chapter. -hears thousands of palms hitting faces- Oh shut up.**

**A/N: Tell me if you like the three new characters I added in. I like them flawed, because flaw make things more humane,**** and that means that you can relate to them. **

**In explanation for the wait, midterms plus birthday equals madness and minor depressions. There you go.**

**Oh, and I'm basing Dracula's coffin off of the one in Van Helsing when he does the whole "MARISHKAAAAAA!" -sob- -drama queen pose- routine.**

**I'd like to dedicate this to Orealie, who, instead of just reading until one gets to the end of the fanfic (so far) and giving me one review, actually took the time to review each and every chapter. Every review counts, even they're only on sentence long, I still always appreciate them. Also got me to 250 reviews, which is super cool!  
**

**Enjoy.**

**xxxx**

Amira turned away from Dracula's door and walked down the hall to the armory. She opened the tall doors and grabbed several knives from the nearest rack of them. She put one in each boot, and one in each cuff on her shirt. Now all Amira had to do was hope that when she was turned into a vampire, she somehow managed to acquire the ability to use knives with skills. Yeah...

When she believed that she was somewhat well equipped she left the armory and walked back to Dracula's bedroom chamber and got herself prepared...

_Just remember what he did to you._

Amira burst through the doors with red hot fury blazing in her eyes, it was quite the dramatic sight. Of course, it wasn't as if anyone was around (or awake) to shrink in terror, but it's the effort that counts, right? She glanced back and forth with predator's eyes, looking for Dracula. Her eyes locked on to his stone and ice coffin. She prowled forward and stopped at the side of Dracula's coffin and glanced inside.

And there he was, looking absolutely perfect... as always. His arms were crossed over his chest in the typical vampiric fashion, though Amira was sure this was just for dramatic effect. He looked almost peaceful, lying there, shrouded in ice.

Amira traced a sharp fingernail across the glassy surface as she circled the coffin, a faint smile playing upon her red lips. It would be so easy to kill her husband right there, while he was in this unconscious state. Her nails sharpened as she dragged them across the top, creating deep gouges in the otherwise smooth ice. Her anger boiled and surged forward as she watched him sleeping so innocently. He wasn't allowed to act like he was the image of innocence. He stole hers.

_Just do it now. _The honeyed voice whispered playfully in her ear. _He hurt you so much, now it's your turn to hurt him._

Her eyes gained a wild, insane look as she smiled slightly. _He... hurt... me. _

None of her knives would penetrate completely through the ice and reach Dracula's sleeping body. She flicked her head to the right and saw a decorative sword hanging above an empty fireplace. She was at the fireplace's mouth in an instant, and in a second more she had relieved the sword from where it had been collecting dust and slid it out of its sheath. She tested the blade against her finger, it cut it easily. Amira smirked as she stalked back to Dracula's coffin, trailing the blade behind her. She decided that beheading him would be the best way to go. When she reached the side of the coffin once again, Dracula was still lying there. (What a shocker, eh?)

Amira climbed on top of the coffin, her legs spread slightly far apart in order to gain purchase on the stone sides. She switched her hand position and grabbed the hilt of her sword with both hands as she prepared herself to drive the sword straight through his neck.

_Just do it. Just do it. Just do it. _The voice chanted into her ear, filling Amira's mind.

She raised her arms high over her head and then, time slowed. She felt herself driving the sword downward with all her strength, the blade was just touching the surface of the ice when...

CRACK.

There was an explosion of ice and stone. Amira was thrown off her feet and into the wall several feet behind her. She smacked her head against the stone wall and felt blood seep out of the wound the crash had created before the skin on her scalp began to heal almost instantly. Stars bloomed in her eyesight as her head spun, but she knew she had to move before Dracula killed her. She got up and stumbled to the right, and she was not a moment too soon, for a giant icicle had been thrown directly at where she had been lying a second before. Amira lurched to her feet when the stars cleared up and she could see properly again. She stared at the spot where Dracula's coffin used to be, all that remained of it was dust and rubble. _Where did that bastard go? _

Her question was answered in record time.

"What are you doing in my room?" A soft, deep voice purred in Amira's ear. Dracula's arm snaked around her waist and pulled her close.

Amira wriggled out of his grasp. She was a bit disturbed to realize that Dracula was a horny bastard even directly after people attempt to kill him.

Dracula was standing in the shadows, his brilliant blue eyes drilling into her skull.

"And why..." his eyes flickered to the broken sword lying on the floor before returning back to Amira's. "were you trying to kill me?" His eyes flashed dark for a moment before returning to their original color.

Amira took another step back. Her anger had begun to evaporate and fear began to creep in as Dracula gave her a murderous glare.

There was a pause.

"_ANSWER ME._" He roared.

He took a step forward, and suddenly Amira was pinned to the wall. She hadn't even seen him move. Dracula latched one of his clawed hands onto her neck and forced her upward. She could feel the fragile bones in her neck cracking under the pressure. Amira clawed at his arm as Dracula lifted her higher, snarling as he did so.

_Remember what he did to you!_

Amira felt a bone snap. "You destroyed my life." She managed to gasp out. It turns out that physical pain isn't such a trivial thing when it hurts _this _much.

Dracula let go of Amira's neck, allowing her to drop to the floor. She rubbed her neck as it healed itself. It took longer than it had when she got hit on the head.

"But I gave you so much more!" He shouted back.

"You put me in a trance and made me think that I loved you."

Dracula smirked. "It's not my fault that you are too weak to be able to withstand my powers."

"You tried to make me forget the life I had before!"

"So that you could start anew with me." Dracula had quieted down a bit. He didn't very much like it. He began to walk forward as his mind furiously skipping from idea to idea as he tried to think of the most torturous way to kill Zane for implanting such wicked thoughts in Amira's head just when he had her where he wanted. His mind had instantly leapt to Zane when he been awoken abruptly (and rather rudely, from his point of view) from his slumber, but for some reason he had a feeling that not even Zane would have Amira do such a thing as this.

"That is not true." Amira whispered quietly, her eyes averted. Her hands were so tightly clenched together that they were trembling. Dracula stopped several feet away from his bride. Amira tried to keep the emotion out of her voice as she said, "It was all for vengeance." Her eyes flicked upwards to stare into Dracula's, and she couldn't help but let a single tear trickle down her cheek. (Who said Amira wasn't for drama too?) "Now it's my turn to exact my vengeance upon you!" She pushed herself up and with lightening speed pulled a knife out of her boot and slit Dracula's throat. Dracula's hands clutched his throat as blood seeped in between his fingers. He hadn't expected her to move so fast after being injured so severely. He sneered as the dreadful wound healed. When nothing was left but a faint line of blood from where the knife had sliced the skin, he turned to the side and backhanded Amira. She stumbled backwards but kept her balance.

Dracula advanced towards her, a feral gleam in his eyes. "You insolent fool! You dare hope to defeat me? I am the most powerful vampire in the world." He was now exceedingly angry at Amira for ruining his favorite jacket. Oh, and making an attempt on his life twice in one evening.

Amira snarled and leapt forward, but Dracula was too quick. He easily sidestepped her and watched as she collided with a sickening thud against the stone wall. She staggered back to her feet, hatred shining in her eyes like a beacon.

"You know, you are far too arrogant for your own good." Amira muttered, at the same time loosening the blades in her wrist cuffs. She rushed forward and threw the blade in her left hand at Dracula when she was halfway to him, keeping the one in her dominant hand as she ran the rest of the way to meet her husband in hand to hand combat. Dracula blocked all her attacks with practiced ease, which just caused Amira to get more and more frustrated.

He slowly backed her into a wall before disarming her with an expert flick of his wrist. "You cannot kill me Amira." He pushed his body against hers and whispered in her ears in such a taunting way that it caused Amira's blood to boil. "And I do not wish to kill you." Amira struggled harder, but Dracula only tightened his grip. "But I will if I have to." Amira did the only thing she could do. She shifted her position and kneed him as hard as she could in the... well... you get the picture.

Dracula jerked backwards and fell down as he gasped in pain. Amira took this moment to take her last knife out of her boot and picked up one that had been discarded. She then readied herself for the onslaught of attacks that were soon to come.

Dracula recovered quickly and stood up, all previous "affection" gone from his eyes, replaced only with fury. He rushed at her so quickly that Amira barely saw him. She stuck both of her knives out and swung wildly, praying that one would find its mark. Indeed one did. She was rewarded from her swinging when one of the blades sunk into Dracula's soft flesh, but Dracula was going too fast to stop himself, so he just dug the blade further into his own shoulder. Unfortunately for Amira, he barely noticed the pain in his shoulder, for he was far too busy focusing his attentions on hurting his bride. He punched Amira in the stomach and grabbed onto the arm still holding her knife, twisting it into an awkward angle. Amira cried out in pain and shock, but managed to pull herself low and kick Dracula's legs out from under him. She scrambled backwards, clutching her hurt arm as she did so. Dracula finally noticed the knife in his shoulder and pulled it out. He bent it in half and tossed the ruined blade carelessly aside.

Dracula stood up and walked towards her. Amira was lying on the floor, trying to hold back tears as she stared at her injured arm. "You are a silly little girl." He sneered at her and crossed his arms under his chest. "You are more trouble than you are worth. I should have just killed you when I found you."

Amira gritted her teeth and reset the bone, crying as she did so. Then she looked up through her tear filled gaze. She wiped the tears away and stood up, still holding her arm as it began to heal. Her fingernails dug into her own arm, causing tiny droplets of blood to leak out and dribble down her arm. Amira had never been so angry in her entire life. Everything around her seemed to vanish, just so she could focus every fiber of her being on Dracula and the idea of destroying him. When she let go of her arm, her long, sharp fingernails were covered in her own blood, but she barely noticed. All she had on her mind right now was killing Dracula. So, without any weapons at hand other than her own body, she raced towards Dracula as quick as she could. Dracula attempted to sidestep her again, but she was ready this time. She changed direction with a twist of her foot and leapt at Dracula, her blood soaked claws outstretched. Amira slashed Dracula in the face before he had time to dodge her again, creating large slash wounds from one side of his face to the other. He lengthened his own claws and stabbed Amira in the stomach with one hand while dragging his claws down her uninjured arm with the other. As soon as he had done enough damage he jumped backwards, readying himself for another attack.

Amira, however, was far too busy staring at the ever increasing blood stain on her shirt. She forced herself to look away and focus back on Dracula, now licking her blood off of his fingers. He savored the taste of the still warm blood as the salty liquid filled his mouth. When he looked up and found her staring at him, he smirked, licked the last of her blood of pinky finger, and leapt forward just as she did. The met in midair, crashed together and locked themselves in a battle for dominance. They both managed to do a fair amount of damage to the other, though Amira was certainly becoming in a steadily worse condition than Dracula. She had lost too much blood, and was beginning to become light headed.

And at last came the final blow. Dracula sneered at his wife's weakness as he lay on top of her and, before he could stop himself, reached forward and crushed her throat so hard that her head tore off from her body. How ironic, the fate that she had willed upon Dracula had become her own instead. Dracula, realizing what he had done a half a second later, fell backwards and crawled away from the now dead body of his wife as a sense of shock set in.

xxxx

Amira, on the other hand, had been thrown into a blinding white light the moment Dracula's hand and reached down and clenched her throat.

She was floating... Where exactly, she was not sure at all. She looked left and right, but all she could see was white nothingness.

And then...

_Damn. I should have known she would die. _A deep voice rumbled through the void.

Another, more feminine voice answered, _Ha! I told you so. Now I get to choose the next antichrist! _

_Oh shut up you two, she's here. _A distinctly authoritative voice rang out.

Amira was abruptly dropped out of the white void to land on a pale marble floor at the feet of three figures draped in gold cloth. Two of the figures were male, and one was female. All were inhumanly beautiful. They all had slender forms and pale white skin, but not in the vampiric way that Dracula and herself possessed. The female had long, light red hair the tumbled down in curls to her lower back. The two males both had straight black hair that reached to their mid back, but one was of larger build than the other. Amira felt very small and ugly in their presence. The female reached down and helped Amira to her feet.

"Sorry about that," said the male with the authoritative voice, "those two" he jerked his thumb behind him at the two bickering beings, "were too busy making bets about your survival."

At Amira's bewildered expression, he changed his expression to one of sympathy. "I'm sorry, how rude of us to not introduce ourselves. You may call me Deimos. This," he gestured to the second male, "Is Azariah. And this," he gestured to the female, "is Rhonwen. We are the Powers That Be."

At this, Amira's expression became even more confused. "I... what? Then Zane-"

Azariah snorted in an almost inelegant fashion -of course, it would be impossible for them to be inelegant without trying to be, seeing how they _are _the Powers That Be- and replied, "Is an idiot. And one of our servants. One of the few beings on Earth that know of our existence."

"But I thought you were all apart of his imagination."

"Apparently we aren't, seeing how we're standing right in front of you." Rhonwen replied in a slow voice that an adult would use on a small child.

"Ugh... why must all humans be so dumb?" Azariah muttered to Deimos. Deimos in turn slapped him up side the head.

"Just because they don't have an infinite knowledge of the universe like us doesn't mean that you should just go ahead an insult them!" Deimos growled. "Humans have feelings too!"

Amira decided to ignore this unusual spectacle and the insults upon her intelligence. She had other questions that needed to be answered. "Why am I here?"

Rhonwen answered, "Because you died."

"Did you cause my death?" Amira asked, wondering if they had somehow controlled Dracula's actions during the fight. A tiny spark of hope shone through the black sadness and dull anger that had begun to grow in the pit of her stomach.

"No." Deimos shook his head. The glimmer was snuffed like a candle. "Satan is scheming against us again." At this, Rhonwen and Azariah rolled their eyes in an exaggerated manner. "He just loves to play favorites against ours. He's the one that had you killed, so you can blame this all on him." The hope was ignited again. He tilted his head to one side in a contemplative manner. "Actually, you can still put most of the blame on Dracula. He's the one that ended up wanting you dead in the first place." His expression shadowed for an instant before becoming warm again. Amira, on the other hand, was too busy threatening to douse the hope with a bucket of water if it decided to ignite again to notice.

"Why is Satan scheming against you?" Amira asked, her curiosity aroused.

"Well, I imagine Hell can get rather boring after a couple thousand years. This isn't the first time he's tried to disrupt the balance of the universe. Why, just the other day he sent one of his minions up here to switch my hair care products. Now look at my hair!" Deimos held up a piece of his silky black hair. "This used to be blonde, you know! Now I look like Azariah from the back, and the little monster put some sort of spell or enchantment in it so I can't change it back!"

Amira wasn't quite sure how dying the hair of a Power That Be would somehow disrupt to order of the universe, but she kept her mouth shut about that and asked another question. "Why didn't you sense the minion when he entered your domain?" _Wherever _this_ is..._

"I was far too busy partying with-" He cut off as all the Azariah and Rhonwen both giving him slightly annoyed looks. "I mean, studiously maintaining the order of the universe to have noticed the dirty little demon." Amira had a hard time believing this, but she had more important matter to discuss with these people than to wonder why one of the Powers That Be was off partying.

A slightly awkward silence ensued until Azariah swept his long black hair behind him and stepped forward. "Now, you can't stay here for too long. The last human that did ended up imploding for some reason..." Azariah grimaced. "It took us forever to clean up, because we kept employing more humans to clean up the mess, but they kept imploding as well. Finally, we had to-"

Rhonwen cut Azariah off as she pushed him aside. "So, we're going to have to just send you back to Earth, good as new. Of course, we're also going to momentarily give you a very small portion of our powers, so that you can send Dracula back to Hell, where he belongs. He's been wreaking too much havoc on Earth for our liking."

Azariah finally recovered and shoved Rhonwen to the side. "Think you can do that for us?"

Amira's eyebrows knitted together. "Why can't you just do it yourselves?"

Azariah sighed, "Because we cannot directly interfere in the state of otherworldly affairs."

"Aren't you interfering by giving me power though?"

"Ah... no. By directly interfering, I mean we can't just go down to your planet and start shooting lightening bolts at whoever we please. That would disrupt the balance of the universe, white would become black, water would become fire, you get the picture. So we send people like you down there to do our bidding to better the universe as a whole."

"Um... okay."

Deimos had finally regained his authoritative composure since the little embarrassing scene earlier, and pushed both Rhonwen and Azariah aside. "Now, after you send Dracula back to Hell, all the power we're about to give you will leave your body. Might I suggest running as fast as you can away from Castle Dracula when you kill him, though? All sorts of little nasties will be coming out of the woodwork and searching for you.

Amira nodded dumbly. She still felt rather small and insignificant in front of these three magnificent beings.

"Now then!" Deimos rubbed his hands together and then placed his pointer and middle finger on Amira's forehead as Azariah and Rhonwen began chanting in some foreign tongue. Deimos' fingers began glowing brighter and brighter as Azariah's and Rhonwen's chanting got louder and louder until the chant filled Amira's mind and the light blinded her vision. She felt an immense, pure surge power wash into her body as soon as the chanting stopped.

"How... how will I know how to do it?" Amira asked, confused.

Deimos gave her a knowing smile. "Oh, you'll know how to do it."

"Good luck!" The three said together. Deimos swept his hand and Amira drifted away, shrouded in a white light.

xxxx

Dracula finally stood up and dusted himself off as he got over the original shock. Forced himself not to look at the mangled body of his bride lying there on the floor. He felt like he had a heart again, and it was now in the midst of making Dracula feel incredibly disgusted with himself and sad for what he had just done. He turned away and began to walk towards the bathroom door, intent on cleaning himself off, when a burning white light filled the room, causing Dracula to squint and attempt to shield his eyes with his arm as he turned back to the source of the light. It was Amira's body, slowly stitching itself back together. Dracula took a step back as his lips drew back in a growl. Once Amira's head was once again attached itself to it's body, Amira stood up and turned to face Dracula.

"What... what is this?" Dracula whispered softly in awe, taking a step back as Amira took a step forward. "You're alive?" He asked, surprise, fear, and just the tiniest ounce of relief flooding into his voice.

He attempted to turn into his hell beast form, but some unknown power made it impossible for him. This had never happened before. The fear began to set in. He took another step back until he had nearly touched the wall behind him as he watched his beautiful angel with wonder and terror as she advanced upon him.

xxxx

Amira was quite sure at this point that she wasn't the one controlling her body, even though she was conscious of her thoughts and surroundings. She took another step forward, basking in the glory of having nearly infinite power.

"You were right when you said you should have killed me when you found me." Amira whispered, though her voice echoed through the room with a thousand other voices saying the exact same words. "Now you must pay for your mistake."

Amira moved forward, and, with deadly accuracy, grabbed Dracula from behind and pulled him close while at the same time pushing her clawed fingers into his throat hard enough to draw blood. But this was merely a show of power.

"And now," she whispered softly in Dracula's ear along with the many other voices, "Let the gates of Hell be opened." Amira pushed Dracula aside and made a slashing motion with her right arm, causing a huge rift to open directly in front of her and stretch from one side of the castle to the other. Flames leapt out and licked the sides of the gaping crevice. She stared down into it, but she could not see the bottom.

"No!" Dracula shouted, his face contorted in fear and dread. "I will not go back!"

He sprinted to Amira and tackled her, throwing her to the ground. Amira growled and punched Dracula in the face, causing his head to snap back. She rolled over so that she was the one on top of him and hit him again. Dracula spat out blood and pushed Amira away, towards the edge of the crevice. She scrambled backwards as more of the floor fell away. Dracula grabbed onto her neck and pushed her down so that he was on top of her and mauled her as hard as he could. It burned to touch her, but Dracula knew that he could not stop. Amira leaned forward and bit into Dracula's shoulder. He jerked backwards but Amira held on for dear life, sinking her fangs deeper and deeper into his shoulder while Dracula howled in pain. He finally kneed her in the stomach, causing Amira to let go and fall backwards. They immediately went at it again, all the while getting closer to the edge until they were fighting right along it. But with Amira's newfound power, Dracula couldn't stop her. Amira was becoming languid and untouchable as she got used to it, and Dracula was become sloppier and more desperate. But he couldn't give up yet. He grabbed on to Amira's curly hair and pulled her head back as hard as he could. She shrieked and kicked Dracula in the shins, causing Dracula tumbled forward and let go. The moment he did so Amira pushed him backwards with all her might, causing Dracula stumble backwards, over the edge of the crevice and out into the open air.

Dracula was hanging in space, hands outstretched as he tried to grab something... anything other than thin air. The last thing he could see was Amira, standing on the edge, staring at him with a mixture of a hundred different emotions, and then... he began plummeting downwards into the fiery chaos to be engulfed by the flames of Hell.

_Amira... you overcame my power. _

xxxx

**No... this isn't the end. **

**But we're getting very close.**


End file.
